Species traits and phylogenetic conservatism of climate-induced range shifts in stream fishes.

ABSTRACT: Understanding climate-induced range shifts is crucial for biodiversity conservation. However, no general consensus has so far emerged about the mechanisms involved and the role of phylogeny in shaping species responses has been poorly explored. Here, we investigate whether species traits and their underlying phylogenetic constraints explain altitudinal shifts at the trailing and leading edges of stream fish species ranges. We demonstrate that these shifts are related to dissimilar mechanisms: whereas range retractions show some support for phylogenetic clustering due to a high level of conservatism in thermal safety margins, range expansions are underpinned by both evolutionarily conserved and labile traits, notably trophic position and life-history strategy, hence decreasing the strength

SUBMITTER: Comte L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5898465 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature