The radiation continuum and the evolution of frog diversity

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Biology
• Macroevolution
• Speciation

Background:

• Adaptive radiation is a key driver of biodiversity.
• Its contribution to species and phenotypic diversity within major groups remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the proportion of clades exhibiting adaptive radiation-like dynamics.
• To determine the contribution of these clades to overall species richness and phenotypic diversity.

Main Methods:

• Phylogenetic and morphological data analyzed for 1226 frog species across 43 families.
• Macroevolutionary dynamics were assessed to identify adaptive-radiation-like clades.

Main Results:

• Less than half of frog families displayed adaptive radiation patterns (rapid diversification and morphological evolution).
• These adaptive-radiation-like clades accounted for approximately 75% of both species richness and morphological diversity.
• Other clades, like non-adaptive radiations, also showed rapid rates but contributed less to overall diversity.

Conclusions:

• Adaptive-radiation-like processes are crucial for understanding macroevolutionary patterns and diversity.
• This study provides a framework for characterizing macroevolutionary dynamics and diversity in other taxa.