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Multiple macroevolutionary routes to becoming a biodiversity hotspot.
1Ecosystem and Global Change Group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK.
Science Advances
|February 19, 2019
Summary
Global biodiversity hotspots show uneven species distribution due to varying speciation and immigration rates. Tropical regions exhibit higher speciation, while temperate areas receive more immigrants, influenced by environmental factors.
Area of Science:
- Macroevolutionary biology
- Biogeography
- Ecology
Background:
- Species diversity distribution is uneven globally.
- Hypotheses for this unevenness include speciation, dispersal, and colonization times.
- These hypotheses have rarely been tested concurrently on a global scale.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the macroevolutionary pathways driving mammal and bird biodiversity hotspots.
- To analyze diversification and dispersal patterns within major biogeographic realms.
- To link environmental factors with macroevolutionary history in explaining biodiversity patterns.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of diversification tempo and mode.
- Assessment of dispersal patterns within biogeographic realms.
- Global-scale comparative analysis of mammal and bird species diversity.
Main Results:
- Tropical biodiversity hotspots show higher speciation rates.
- Temperate biodiversity hotspots show higher immigration rates.
- Hotspots are associated with greater spatial complexity and energy availability.
Conclusions:
- Macroevolutionary history, including speciation and dispersal, significantly shapes global biodiversity patterns.
- Environmental factors like spatial complexity and energy availability correlate with biodiversity hotspots.
- Understanding macroevolutionary differences is key to explaining worldwide biodiversity variation.
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