Evolutionary conservation of within-family biodiversity patterns.

ABSTRACT: The tendency for species to retain their ancestral biological properties has been widely demonstrated, but the effect of phylogenetic constraints when progressing from species to ensemble-level properties requires further assessment. Here we test whether community-level patterns (environmental shifts in local species richness and turnover) are phylogenetically conserved, assessing whether their similarity across different families of lichens, insects, and birds is dictated by the relatedness of these families. We show a significant phylogenetic signal in the shape of the species richness-elevation curve and the decay of community similarity with elevation: closely related families share community patterns within the three major taxa. Phylogenetic influences are partly explained by similari

SUBMITTER: Laiolo P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7021778 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature