Equilibrium speciation dynamics in a model adaptive radiation of island lizards.

ABSTRACT: The relative importance of equilibrium and nonequilibrium processes in shaping patterns of species richness is one of the most fundamental questions in biodiversity studies. If equilibrium processes predominate, then ecological interactions presumably limit species diversity, potentially through diversity dependence of immigration, speciation, and extinction rates. Alternatively, species richness may be limited by the rate at which diversity arises or by the amount of time available for diversification. These latter explanations constitute nonequilibrium processes and can apply only to biotas that are unsaturated or far from diversity equilibria. Recent studies have challenged whether equilibrium models apply to biotas assembled through in situ speciation, as this process may be too slow t

SUBMITTER: Rabosky DL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3009809 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature