Drivers of Phylogenetic Assemblage Structure of the Furnariides, a Widespread Clade of Lowland Neotropical Birds

AbstractSpecies co-occurrencein localassemblages is shaped by distinct processes at different spatial and temporal scales. Here we focus on historical explanations and examine the phylogenetic structure of localassemblages of the Furnariides clade(Aves: Passeriformes), assessing the influence of diversification rateson the assembly and species co-occurrencewithin those assemblages. Using 120 localassemblages across Bolivia and Argentina and a nearly complete phylogeny for the clade, we analyzed assemblage phylogenetic structure, applying a recently developed model (DAMOCLES, or dynamic assembly modelof colonization, local extinction, and speciation) accounting for the historical processes of speciation, colonization, and local extinction. We also evaluated how diversification ratesdetermine species co-occurrence. We found that the assembly of Furnariides assemblages can be explained largely by speciation, colonization, and local extinctionwithout invoking current localspecies interactions. Phyl...