Cantalapiedra Juan L, Hernández Fernández Manuel, Azanza Beatriz, Morales Jorge
Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstraße 43, Berlin, 10115, Germany.
Departamento de Paleobiología, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Pinar 25, 28006, Madrid, Spain.
Evolution. 2015 Nov;69(11):2941-53. doi: 10.1111/evo.12787. Epub 2015 Oct 16.
Computational methods for estimating diversification rates from extant species phylogenetic trees have become abundant in evolutionary research. However, little evidence exists about how their outcome compares to a complementary and direct source of information: the fossil record. Furthermore, there is virtually no direct test for the congruence of evolutionary rates based on these two sources. This task is only achievable in clades with both a well-known fossil record and a complete phylogenetic tree. Here, we compare the evolutionary rates of ruminant mammals as estimated from their vast paleontological record--over 1200 species spanning 50 myr--and their living-species phylogeny. Significantly, our results revealed that the ruminant's fossil record and phylogeny reflect congruent evolutionary processes. The concordance is especially strong for the last 25 myr, when living groups became a dominant part of ruminant diversity. We found empirical support for previous hypotheses based on simulations and neontological data: The pattern captured by the tree depends on how clade specific the processes are and which clades are involved. Also, we report fossil evidence for a postradiation speciation slowdown coupled with constant, moderate extinction in the Miocene. The recent deceleration in phylogenetic rates is connected to rapid extinction triggered by recent climatic fluctuations.
在进化研究中，从现存物种系统发育树估计多样化速率的计算方法已经大量涌现。然而，关于这些方法的结果与一个补充性的直接信息来源——化石记录——相比如何，几乎没有证据。此外，实际上也没有基于这两个来源对进化速率一致性的直接检验。这项任务只有在既有丰富化石记录又有完整系统发育树的进化枝中才能完成。在这里，我们比较了反刍类哺乳动物的进化速率，这些速率是根据它们庞大的古生物学记录——跨越5000万年的1200多个物种——以及它们现存物种的系统发育关系估计出来的。值得注意的是，我们的结果表明，反刍类的化石记录和系统发育反映了一致的进化过程。在过去的2500万年里，这种一致性尤为明显，此时现存类群成为反刍类多样性的主要组成部分。我们基于模拟和新生物数据为之前的假设找到了实证支持：系统发育树所反映的模式取决于这些过程在进化枝中的特异性以及涉及哪些进化枝。此外，我们报告了化石证据，表明在中新世辐射后物种形成减缓，同时伴随着持续的、适度的灭绝。系统发育速率最近的减缓与近期气候波动引发的快速灭绝有关。
