Trinidad and Tobago geogenomics: Exploring connections between geology and vicariance and dispersal biogeography — a review and synthesis

In this paper we draw on the wealth of biological and geological knowledge derived from over a century of work on the rich fauna and complex geology of Trinidad and Tobago, and the surrounding region, through petroleum exploration, academic research, and other studies. We use molecular studies from the last 20 years that address phylogeography, phylogenetics, population genetics, morphology, and biogeography to link biological events to the geology, neotectonics, and geomorphology of this area of the southeast Caribbean and northern South America. We focus on studies that provide molecular timings of speciation, vicariance, and dispersal events to compare these to geological data. We first develop and review two relatively clear-cut biology-geology connections; we then review and speculate on other possible yet-unknown connections. • Geogenomics is an emerging field that exploits connections between biology and geology. • We review the geological and biological evolution of Trinidad and Tobago in the SE Caribbean, where: • Rates of evolution and species diversity are both extremely high. • Numerous phylogenetic trees have been constructed for extant organisms. • The geological change from a marine to a terrestrial mountainous continental borderland is well documented.