Cenozoic geoclimatic changes drove the evolutionary dynamics of floristic endemism on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

ABSTRACT: The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) harbors extraordinarily high levels of biodiversity and endemism. The region is warming at a rate twice the global average, yet the evolutionary dynamics of its unique biota are poorly understood. Here, we used the endemic land plant genera of the QTP to investigate how its floristic endemism was shaped over time by Cenozoic geoclimatic changes. We first clarified that the QTP hosts 82 endemic land plant genera; we found that the origins of these endemic genera were most likely driven by ecological niche and elevation differentiation, caused by the uplift of the QTP and associated climate change. By sampling 37 land plant clades that together encompass 1,740 species, covering all 82 endemic genera, we show that QTP floristic endemism had emerged by the Early

SUBMITTER: Cao GL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12232610 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature