| Middle America includes regions from Mexico south to Panama, and hosts a diverse number of fishes. While numerous published studies have examined species diversity and systematic relationships of a number of these fishes, some groups remain understudied. Information gathered from these studies can prove beneficial in better understanding the history of the region and biogeographic history of its inhabitants. This study consists of two sections aimed at investigating the evolutionary history of two groups of fishes: (1) Molecular systematics of the cichlid genus Vieja, and (2) Phylogeography of the Mountain Mullet, Agonostomus monticola. Results from these studies shed light on the importance of taxon sampling when investigating phylogenetic relationships among closely related groups of fishes and subsequent taxonomic revisions. Results also illustrate the importance of incorporating the complex geological history of Middle America into understanding the evolutionary history of trans-isthmian species.;Key words: cichlid, mullet, Middle America, phylogeny, taxonomy, evolution... |
