| Today’s global marine diversity hotspot, or center of maximum biodiversity, is located in the Indo-West Pacific (IWP), namely in the Indo-Malayan region, including Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea (Hoeksma, 2007; Renema et al., 2010). Numerous groups of marine organisms, for instance foraminifera, mollusks, and corals contribute to the high taxonomic richness (e.g., Bellwood et al., 2005; Hoeksema, 2007; Kohn, 1990; Wilson and Rosen, 1998). The exceptional biodiversity in the region is thought to have originated in the Early Neogene with the diversification of scleractinian coral reefs and associated organisms (e.g., Wilson and Rosen, 1998; Chapter 6). Because the available fossil data to document patterns of diversification of... |
