The high levels of biodiversity supported by mountains suggest a possible link between geologic processes and biological evolution. Freshwater biodiversity is high not only in tectonically active settings but also in tectonically quiescent montane regions such as the Appalachian Mountains. We show that erosion through different rock types drove allopatric divergence between lineages of the Greenfin Darter ( Nothonotus chlorobranchius ), a fish species endemic to rivers draining metamorphic rocks in the Tennessee River basin in the United States. In the past, metamorphic rock preferred by N. chlorobranchius was more widespread, but as erosion exposed other rock types, lineages of this species were progressively isolated in tributaries farther upstream, where metamorphic rock remained. Our results suggest a geologic mechanism for initiating allopatric diversification in mountains long after tectonic activity ceases.

中文翻译：

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异质岩石的侵蚀推动了阿巴拉契亚鱼类的多样化

山脉支持的高水平生物多样性表明地质过程和生物进化之间可能存在联系。淡水生物多样性不仅在构造活跃的环境中而且在构造静止的山地地区（如阿巴拉契亚山脉）也很高。我们表明，通过不同岩石类型的侵蚀导致了 Greenfin Darter 谱系之间的异域差异（绿鳃鱼)，美国田纳西河流域流经变质岩河流的特有鱼类。过去，人们首选变质岩绿鳃鱼分布更为广泛，但随着侵蚀暴露出其他类型的岩石，该物种的谱系在上游更远的支流中逐渐被隔离，那里仍然存在变质岩。我们的研究结果表明，在构造活动停止后很长一段时间内，在山区启动异域多样化的地质机制。