Paleodistribution of Neotropical species of Erythroxylum (Erythroxylaceae) in humid and dry environments

ABSTRACT Variation in environmental conditions during the Quaternary period served as important filters for the maintenance of vegetation types and for determining the composition of the current biota. We analyzed oscillations in the distributions of different vegetation types in Brazil during the Quaternary period using species of the genus Erythroxylum (Erythroxylaceae) because of the vast heterogeneity of habitats in which they occur. We hypothesized that it would be possible to observe geographically distinct distribution patterns of species of Erythroxylum as a result of the climate chang...