Earth history and the passerine superradiation
2019
Avian diversification has been influenced by global climate change, plate tectonic movements, and mass
extinction events. However, the impact of these factors on the diversification of the hyperdiverse perching birds (
passerines) is unclear because family level relationships are unresolved and the timing of splitting events among lineages is uncertain. We analyzed DNA data from 4,060 nuclear loci and 137
passerinefamilies using concatenation and coalescent approaches to infer a comprehensive phylogenetic hypothesis that clarifies relationships among all
passerinefamilies. Then, we calibrated this phylogeny using 13 fossils to examine the effects of different events in Earth history on the timing and rate of
passerinediversification. Our analyses reconcile
passerinediversification with the fossil and
geological records; suggest that
passerinesoriginated on the Australian landmass ∼47 Ma; and show that subsequent dispersal and diversification of
passerineswas affected by a number of climatological and geological events, such as Oligocene glaciation and inundation of the New Zealand landmass. Although
passerine
diversification ratesfluctuated throughout the
Cenozoic, we find no link between the rate of
passerinediversification and
Cenozoic
global temperature, and our analyses show that the increases in
passerine
diversification ratewe observe are disconnected from the colonization of new continents. Taken together, these results suggest more complex mechanisms than temperature change or ecological opportunity have controlled macroscale patterns of
passerinespeciation.
Keywords:
-
Correction
-
Source
-
Cite
-
Save
95
References
116
Citations
NaN
KQI