--- title: "Qinghai–Tibet Plateau Terrestrial Animals' Evolution Studied in Detail" url: https://newscentral.site/qinghai-tibet-plateau-terrestrial-animals-evolution-studied-in-detail/ language: en publisher: "News Central Site" section: "Science" published: 2026-10-29T22:00:01.000Z updated: 2026-10-30T00:50:41.926Z id: b4c21ab6-7cf2-4907-a1a5-76d10f42ba31 source: "Phys.org https://phys.org/news/2026-10-qinghaitibet-plateau-evolution-terrestrial-animals.html" attribution: "Link to https://newscentral.site/qinghai-tibet-plateau-terrestrial-animals-evolution-studied-in-detail/ and name News Central Site when you quote or summarize this story." --- # Qinghai–Tibet Plateau Terrestrial Animals' Evolution Studied in Detail A comprehensive study on the evolution of terrestrial animals across the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau has provided a detailed picture of how unique fauna developed over millions of years. A comprehensive study has been conducted on the evolution of terrestrial animals across the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP), providing a detailed picture of how the unique fauna developed over millions of years. The QTP spans an enormous area of approximately 3.07 million square kilometers, with varying elevations ranging from 88 to 8,848 meters above sea level. This vast region is considered one of the world's most significant biodiversity hotspots and is home to a large number of endemic species that can be found nowhere else. The plateau is divided into three distinct subregions: the plateau platform, the Himalayas, and the Hengduan Mountains. The latter two areas are internationally recognized as biodiversity hotspots due to their exceptionally high levels of endemism. These unique geological formations have created a diverse range of habitats that support an incredible array of plant and animal life, with many species having adapted specifically to these environments over time. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) is a vast and complex region that has long fascinated scientists due to its unique geological history and biodiversity. Previous research on the QTP's evolution has focused primarily on plant species or individual animal groups, leaving a significant knowledge gap in understanding the overall development of terrestrial fauna in the area. To address this gap, researchers created an integrated dataset covering over 20,000 species across five major taxonomic groups: invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. This comprehensive approach allowed them to reconstruct the evolutionary history of 527 endemic terrestrial animal species found exclusively on the QTP. The study revealed that these endemic species have largely developed through a process called in situ diversification, where existing species adapt and evolve within their native environment. The researchers delved deeper into how geological and climatic changes have shaped the evolution of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau's fauna over time. Their findings indicate that the Eocene-Oligocene climate transition, which occurred around 34 million years ago, marked the beginning of sustained diversification and biotic exchange on the plateau. However, this timing varied across the three distinct subregions, reflecting their unique uplift histories and monsoon systems. In regions where rapid uplift occurred, in situ diversification events accelerated significantly. This was observed in the Hengduan Mountains and the Himalayas, where periods of rapid uplift led to a surge in endemic species development. The impact of monsoons on animal migration patterns also varied across subregions. In the Hengduan Mountains, immigration and emigration events peaked during the intensification of the East Asian monsoon, while in the Himalayas they increased and peaked during the intensification of the South Asian monsoon. A comparison with plant evolutionary dynamics revealed a consistent pattern: "plants first, animals later". Early-colonizing plant groups created suitable ecological niches that laid the foundation for animal immigration and diversification. This predictable cross-taxon colonization rule was observed across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its subregions. The study of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau's endemic terrestrial fauna has provided a deeper understanding of mountain biota evolution and offers a framework for examining biodiversity in mountain regions globally. This research contributes significantly to our knowledge of how geoclimatic dynamics shape the assembly of unique faunas in high-altitude areas, shedding light on the processes that govern biodiversity worldwide. --- Source: [Phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-10-qinghaitibet-plateau-evolution-terrestrial-animals.html) Published by News Central Site: https://newscentral.site/qinghai-tibet-plateau-terrestrial-animals-evolution-studied-in-detail/