Expected time-invariant effects of biological traits on mammal species duration.

ABSTRACT: Determining which biological traits influence differences in extinction risk is vital for understanding the differential diversification of life and for making predictions about species' vulnerability to anthropogenic impacts. Here I present a hierarchical Bayesian survival model of North American Cenozoic mammal species durations in relation to species-level ecological factors, time of origination, and phylogenetic relationships. I find support for the survival of the unspecialized as a time-invariant generalization of trait-based extinction risk. Furthermore, I find that phylogenetic and temporal effects are both substantial factors associated with differences in species durations. Finally, I find that the estimated effects of these factors are partially incongruous with how these factor

SUBMITTER: Smits PD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4620871 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature