Trophic niche shifts and phenotypic trait evolution are largely decoupled in Australasian parrots.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Trophic shifts from one dietary niche to another have played major roles in reshaping the evolutionary trajectories of a wide range of vertebrate groups, yet their consequences for morphological disparity and species diversity differ among groups.

Methods

Here, we use phylogenetic comparative methods to examine whether the evolution of nectarivory and other trophic shifts have driven predictable evolutionary pathways in Australasian psittaculid parrots in terms of ecological traits such as body size, beak shape, and dispersal capacity.

Results

We found no evidence for an 'early-burst' scenario of lineage or morphological diversification. The best-fitting models indicate that trait evolution in this group is characterized by abrupt phenotypic shifts (evoluti

SUBMITTER: Garcia-Navas V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8626917 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature