Slowly but surely: gradual diversification and phenotypic evolution in the hyper-diverse tree fern family Cyatheaceae.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

The tremendously unbalanced distribution of species richness across clades in the tree of life is often interpreted as the result of variation in the rates of diversification, which may themselves respond to trait evolution. Even though this is likely a widespread pattern, not all diverse groups of organisms exhibit heterogeneity in their dynamics of diversification. Testing and characterizing the processes driving the evolution of clades with steady rates of diversification over long periods of time are of importance in order to have a full understanding of the build-up of biodiversity through time.

Methods

We studied the macroevolutionary history of the species-rich tree fern family Cyatheaceae and inferred a time-calibrated phylogeny of the family incl

SUBMITTER: Loiseau O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6948215 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature