Global biogeography and macroevolutionary patterns of angiosperm inflorescence types.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Paleoclimatology

Background:

• Inflorescence diversity is crucial for plant reproduction and diversification.
• The impact of climate on inflorescence diversity at macroevolutionary scales is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map global patterns of inflorescence types and their diversity.
• To investigate the influence of climate on these patterns.

Main Methods:

• Global spatiotemporal mapping of angiosperm inflorescence types.
• Analysis of climate variables (temperature) and pollination modes.
• Diversification rate analysis of determinate versus indeterminate inflorescences.

Main Results:

• Inflorescence type frequency shows a latitudinal trend, with indeterminate types increasing away from the equator.
• Pollination mode and temperature strongly correlate with geographic variation in inflorescence types.
• Lineages with determinate inflorescences exhibit higher net diversification rates than those with indeterminate inflorescences.

Conclusions:

• Climate strongly influences inflorescence type evolution and diversity across biogeographical and macroevolutionary scales.
• Evolutionary dynamics of inflorescence types exhibit latitudinal differences, responding to paleotemperature shifts.
• Inflorescence evolution is intertwined with the coevolution of animal pollination strategies under climatic forcing.