Trait-dependent diversification and spatio-ecological limits drive angiosperm diversity unevenness across the Canary Islands archipelago
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Abstract
Abstract Island biotas often show highly uneven species richness among lineages, influenced by clade age, diversification rates, and/or spatio-ecological limits. However, disentangling these drivers has been challenging due to the lack of comprehensive datasets across multiple lineages in the same geographical arena. The flora of the Canary Islands includes hundreds of plant lineages with contrasting species richness and harbours the highest number of species that evolved their woodiness in-situ (“insular woodiness”). Here, we present a phylogenomic reconstruction for Canary Island angiosperms and show that diversity unevenness in the flora is not driven by lineage age but by trait-dependent diversification and spatio-ecological limits. Our phylogenomic dataset, based on 1,244 newly generated and 501 published DNA sequences for 669 Canary Island species and 771 closely related mainland taxa, allows us to simultaneously study 435 plant lineages (∼50% of total). Applying dynamic stochastic modelling, we find the flora is shaped by high extinction and colonisation rates, maintaining a macroevolutionary equilibrium. Additionally, insular woody lineages exhibit higher diversification rates than the remaining flora. Our results suggest the uneven diversity of a highly dynamic insular region can be explained by the interaction of trait evolution and ecological constraints, providing insights into island biodiversity dynamics.
Authors 21
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Naturalis Biodiversity Center · University of Groningen
Affiliation as printed
Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
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Naturalis Biodiversity Center · University of Groningen
Affiliation as printed
Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
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Affiliation as printed
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
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Affiliation as printed
Plant Conservation and Biogeography Research Group. Departamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal. Universidad de La Laguna. Ap. Postal 456, 8200. La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain
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Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología
Affiliation as printed
Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
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Aarhus University · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Affiliation as printed
Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, Richmond, London, TW9 3AE, United Kingdom
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Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas · Cabildo de Gran Canaria
Affiliation as printed
Department of Molecular Biodiversity & DNA Bank of the Canarian Flora, Jardín Botánico Canario 'Viera y Clavijo'–Unidad Asociada CSIC, Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of La Laguna, Apdo, Postal: 456, 38200 San Cristobal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
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Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas · Cabildo de Gran Canaria
Affiliation as printed
Department of Molecular Biodiversity & DNA Bank of the Canarian Flora, Jardín Botánico Canario 'Viera y Clavijo'–Unidad Asociada CSIC, Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain
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Universidad de La Laguna · Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología
Affiliation as printed
Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of La Laguna, Apdo, Postal: 456, 38200 San Cristobal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
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Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas · Cabildo de Gran Canaria
Affiliation as printed
Department of Plant Systematics and Herbarium LPA, Jardín Botánico Canario 'Viera y Clavijo'–Unidad Asociada CSIC, Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain
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Universidad Complutense de Madrid · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Affiliation as printed
Dep. Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), C/ José Antonio Novais, , Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 - Madrid, Spain
Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, Richmond, London, TW9 3AE, United Kingdom
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Affiliation as printed
Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium
Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, Richmond, London, TW9 3AE, United Kingdom
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Affiliation as printed
Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, Richmond, London, TW9 3AE, United Kingdom
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Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología
Affiliation as printed
Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
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Affiliation as printed
Jardín Botánico Oasis Wildlife Fuerteventura, Ctra. General de Jandía, 35627 La Lajita, Fuerteventura
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Biodiversity and Conservation, Real Jardın Botánico (RJB-CSIC), Plaza de Murillo 2, 28014 Madrid, Spain
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Affiliation as printed
Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, Richmond, London, TW9 3AE, United Kingdom
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Affiliation as printed
Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
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Naturalis Biodiversity Center · University of Groningen
Affiliation as printed
Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
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Leiden University · Naturalis Biodiversity Center
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, Leiden 2333 BE, The Netherlands
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
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