Speaker
Description
Biodiversity of the world flora is shaped by evolutionary radiations. Radiations are influenced by the interplay between functional trait flexibility (evolvability of traits over macroevolutionary times) and genomic factors. However, this has never been tested in a quantitative macroevolutionary framework. Using ca. 2,600 species of palms (Arecaceae) as a model system, we test the hypothesis that evolution of genome size (the total amount of DNA in the nucleus of a cell) influences evolutionary radiation both directly and indirectly mediated by trait flexibility. Applying macroevolutionary models we show that palm speciation rates increased rapidly c. 10 million years ago, coinciding with the increased rates of genome size and trait evolution. Structural equation models applied to the tip-derived rates reveal that lineages with larger genomes show faster genome size and leaf size evolution, which led to increased speciation rates in palms. Rates of stem evolution were negatively influenced by genome size that, interestingly, led to increased speciation. Genome size evolution positively influenced fruit size evolution, likely facilitating animal-mediated dispersal of palms promoting lineage persistence, but not necessarily speciation. Our findings suggest that comparable interplay between genomic factors, traits and diversification may underlie some of the most enigmatic evolutionary radiations observed in angiosperms and the ecological success of certain plant lineages.
| Status Group | Postdoctoral Researcher |
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