Many animal groups diversify at the same place where they have originated, whereas others diversify at a place completely different from the centre of origin. Identification of the centre of origin, subsequent colonisation and diversification is crucial for understanding lineages' macroevolutionary dynamics and biogeographical patterns. The historical biogeography of the Mygalomorph spider family Theraphosidae has been confounded by two conflicting hypotheses – a South American origin for the group, which is also the centre of its greatest extant diversity, as against an African origin. We aim to ascertain the centre of origin and directionality of inter-continental dispersal events in tarantulas by reconstructing their biogeographic history.
, , & (2023). The tangled biogeographic history of tarantulas: An African centre of origin rules out the centrifugal model of speciation. Journal of Biogeography, 50, 1341–1351. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14678