10.5061/DRYAD.CJSXKSN1N
Herrera, James
0000-0002-0633-0575
Duke University
Convergent evolution in lemur environmental niches
Dryad
dataset
2020
2020-10-04T00:00:00Z
2020-10-04T00:00:00Z
en
1328414 bytes
3
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Aim: To test the hypothesis that adaptive convergent evolution of climate
niches occurred in multiple independent lemur lineages. Location:
Madagascar Taxon: Lemurs Methods: I collected climate and altitude data
from WorldClim and summarized the niches of almost all living lemurs (83
species) into phylogenetically-controlled principal components. To test
for convergent evolution, I searched for multiple, similar climate optima
using multi-peak Ornstein-Uhlenbeck models (surface, l1-ou, bayou). I
compared the observed level of climate convergence to that simulated under
neutral and single-optimum models. To test if behavioral or morphological
traits were related to climate niches, I used phylogenetic regressions
with activity pattern, diet, and body size. Results: From an ancestral
niche with high rainfall and low seasonality, four lemur lineages
independently converged on climate niche optima characterized by high
temperatures and low rainfall, supporting adaptive evolution in southwest
deciduous and arid habitats. The observed level of convergence was more
frequent than expected under Brownian motion and single-optimum
simulations, which illustrates that the results are likely not a result of
stochastic evolution over long time periods. Nocturnal and cathemeral
activity patterns were common among lineages in the arid climate niche.
Conclusion: Lemur climate niche evolution demonstrated that convergence
explains the distribution of four independent clades in hot, arid
environments of southwest Madagascar. The timing of these convergent
shifts coincided with the origination of modern arid-adapted plant genera,
some of which are important lemur food sources. These communities have
high endemicity and are especially threatened by habitat loss. Arid
environments are arenas in which convergent evolution is predicted to
occur frequently.