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Seed size and its rate of evolution correlate with species diversification across angiosperms

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Igea De Castro, Javier  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9493-2076
Miller, EF 
Papadopulos, AST 
Tanentzap, AJ 

Abstract

Species diversity varies greatly across the different taxonomic groups that comprise the Tree of Life (ToL). This imbalance is particularly conspicuous within angiosperms, but is largely unexplained. Seed mass is one trait that may help clarify why some lineages diversify more than others because it confers adaptation to different environments, which can subsequently influence speciation and extinction. The rate at which seed mass changes across the angiosperm phylogeny may also be linked to diversification by increasing reproductive isolation and allowing access to novel ecological niches. However, the magnitude and direction of the association between seed mass and diversification has not been assessed across the angiosperm phylogeny. Here, we show that absolute seed size and the rate of change in seed size are both associated with variation in diversification rates. Based on the largest available angiosperm phylogenetic tree, we found that smaller-seeded plants had higher rates of diversification, possibly due to improved colonisation potential. The rate of phenotypic change in seed size was also strongly positively correlated with speciation rates, providing rare, large-scale evidence that rapid morphological change is associated with species divergence. Our study now reveals that variation in morphological traits and, importantly, the rate at which they evolve can contribute to explaining the extremely uneven distribution of diversity across the ToL.

Description

Keywords

Adaptation, Biological, Bayes Theorem, Biodiversity, Biological Evolution, Botany, Databases, Factual, Genetic Speciation, Genome Size, Genome, Plant, Magnoliopsida, Models, Biological, Phylogeny, Reproductive Isolation, Seeds, Species Specificity, Time Factors

Journal Title

PLoS Biology

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1544-9173
1545-7885

Volume Title

15

Publisher

Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Sponsorship
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (1644147)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/M011194/1)
Gatsby Charitable Trust Wellcome Trust Sir Isaac Newton Trust BBSRC DTP grant to EF Miller (BB/M011194/1)