Changing Ecological Opportunities Facilitated the Explosive Diversification of New Caledonian Oxera (Lamiaceae).

ABSTRACT: Phylogenies recurrently demonstrate that oceanic island systems have been home to rapid clade diversification and adaptive radiations. The existence of adaptive radiations posits a central role of natural selection causing ecological divergence and speciation, and some plant radiations have been highlighted as paradigmatic examples of such radiations. However, neutral processes may also drive speciation during clade radiations, with ecological divergence occurring following speciation. Here, we document an exceptionally rapid and unique radiation of Lamiaceae within the New Caledonian biodiversity hotspot. Specifically, we investigated various biological, ecological, and geographical drivers of species diversification within the genus Oxera. We found that Oxera underwent an initial process

SUBMITTER: Barrabe L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6472440 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature