Macroevolutionary dynamics of climatic niche space.

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Ecology
• Paleontology

Background:

• Understanding lineage evolution and niche space adaptation is key to evolutionary biology.
• Linking empirical niche data with evolutionary models has been challenging, hindering understanding of abiotic and biotic factor influences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the niche space evolution of all Aves (birds).
• To assess how evolutionary rates vary across avian lineages and time, particularly in response to environmental changes like the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K-Pg) boundary.

Main Methods:

• Characterized two-dimensional temperature and precipitation niche envelopes of bird species as complex geometries.
• Applied a model capturing heterogeneous evolutionary rates on time-calibrated phylogenies for all Aves.

Main Results:

• Extant birds evolved from warm, mesic niches to colder, drier environments.
• A significant increase in niche disparity was observed following the K-Pg boundary.
• Overall niche evolution rates have steadily increased, with some lineages showing high rates and novel niche colonization, while others exhibit niche stasis.

Conclusions:

• Niche evolution is driven by both competition and environmental change, leading to heterogeneous rates.
• Integrating environmental and phylogenetic data provides ecological and conservation insights into avian evolution.