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Cómo la Reina Roja lleva a los mamíferos terrestres a la extinción
Tiago B Quental1, Charles R Marshall
1Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Ecologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. tbquental@usp.br
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|June 22, 2013
Resumen
La extinción de especies es poco conocida. El análisis de mamíferos extintos revela que la pérdida de diversidad se debió a la falta de adaptación a los cambios ambientales, no solo al azar.
Área de la Ciencia:
- Paleontología Paleontología.
- Biología evolutiva Biología evolutiva.
- Ecología Ecología Ecología.
Sus antecedentes:
- Los procesos de extinción de fondo siguen siendo poco conocidos.
- Los grupos de mamíferos terrestres se enfrentan a la extinción o a la disminución de la diversidad.
- Las hipótesis de la "ruina del jugador" y la "Reina Roja" ofrecen explicaciones para la pérdida de especies.
Objetivo del estudio:
- Para analizar la dinámica evolutiva de los mamíferos terrestres del Cenozoico extintos y en declive.
- Para determinar los impulsores de la pérdida de diversidad en estos clades.
- Investigar el papel de los procesos de equilibrio versus no equilibrio en la extinción.
Principales métodos:
- Análisis de la dinámica evolutiva en 19 clado de mamíferos terrestres del Cenozoico.
- Examen de los registros fósiles en busca de clado extintos o en declive.
- Evaluación de las tasas de origen y extinción en relación con las presiones ambientales.
Principales resultados:
- La pérdida de diversidad fue el resultado de un fracaso evolutivo para adaptarse al deterioro ambiental (efecto Reina Roja), no sólo al azar (la ruina del jugador).
- Tanto la disminución de las tasas de origen como el aumento de las tasas de extinción contribuyeron igualmente a la pérdida de diversidad.
- La diversidad de clado observada solo coincidía transitoriamente con la diversidad de equilibrio, lo que indica una dinámica no equilibrada.
Conclusiones:
- Los procesos no equilibrados condujeron fundamentalmente a la pérdida de diversidad en los clados de mamíferos terrestres.
- Estos factores no equilibrados abrumaron los procesos dependientes de la diversidad.
- La falta de adaptación al cambio ambiental es un factor clave en los eventos de extinción de mamíferos.
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