Available Climate Regimes Drive Niche Diversification during Range Expansion

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Ecology
• Climate change research

Background:

• Climate is a primary driver of global biodiversity.
• The impact of climate availability on niche evolution is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how intercontinental climate differences influence the evolution of climate niches.
• To explore mechanisms driving niche evolution, including niche truncation, selective regimes, and niche shifts.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of niche differentiation across continents using danthonioid grasses.
• Comparison of inferred selective regimes with available climatic space.
• Assessment of niche truncation and punctuated evolution patterns.

Main Results:

• Significant niche differentiation observed among continents.
• Evidence of niche truncation along major environmental gradients.
• Adaptation driven by opportunistic evolution toward available climatic space.
• Niche evolution in danthonioid grasses is punctuated, linked to long-distance dispersal.

Conclusions:

• Intercontinental climate differences shape niche evolution.
• Long-distance dispersal events can accelerate niche evolution.
• Intrinsic constraints and biotic interactions may modulate these processes during range expansion.