Shifts in climate foster exceptional opportunities for species radiation: the case of South african geraniums.

ABSTRACT: Climate change is often assumed to be a major driver of biodiversity loss. However, it can also set the stage for novel diversification in lineages with the evolutionary ability to colonize new environments. Here we tested if the extraordinary evolutionary success of the genus Pelargonium was related to the ability of its species to capitalize on the climate niche variation produced by the historical changes in southern Africa. We evaluated the relationship between rates of climate niche evolution and diversification rates in the main Pelargonium lineages and disentangled the roles of deep and recent historical events in the modification of species niches. Pelargonium clades exhibiting higher ecological differentiation along summer precipitation (SPP) gradients also experienced higher dive

SUBMITTER: Martinez-Cabrera HI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3866268 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature