Clade age and diversification rate variation explain disparity in species richness among water scavenger beetle (Hydrophilidae) lineages.

ABSTRACT: Explaining the disparity of species richness across the tree of life is one of the great challenges in evolutionary biology. Some lineages are exceptionally species rich, while others are relatively species poor. One explanation for heterogeneity among clade richness is that older clades are more species rich because they have had more time to accrue diversity than younger clades. Alternatively, disparity in species richness may be due to among-lineage diversification rate variation. Here we investigate diversification in water scavenger beetles (Hydrophilidae), which vary in species richness among major lineages by as much as 20 fold. Using a time-calibrated phylogeny and comparative methods, we test for a relationship between clade age and species richness and for shifts in diversificati

SUBMITTER: Bloom DD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4041770 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature