Trophic niche shifts and phenotypic trait evolution are largely decoupled in Australasian parrots

BMC Ecology and Evolution

Richard Schodde¹  Daniel Wegmann²  Vicente García-Navas³  Joseph A. Tobias⁴  Manuel Schweizer⁵  Janette A. Norman⁶  Les Christidis⁶ 

[1] Australian National Wildlife Collection, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems;Department of Biology, University of Fribourg;Department of Integrative Ecology, Doñana Biological Station EBD (CSIC);Department of Life Sciences (Silwood Park), Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London;Natural History Museum of Bern;Southern Cross University;

关键词: Adaptive landscape;    Beak morphology;    Diet;    Ecomorphology;    Evolutionary jump;    Feeding ecology;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12862-021-01940-4

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Background Trophic shifts from one dietary niche to another have played major roles in reshaping the evolutionary trajectories of a wide range of vertebrate groups, yet their consequences for morphological disparity and species diversity differ among groups. Methods Here, we use phylogenetic comparative methods to examine whether the evolution of nectarivory and other trophic shifts have driven predictable evolutionary pathways in Australasian psittaculid parrots in terms of ecological traits such as body size, beak shape, and dispersal capacity. Results We found no evidence for an ‘early-burst’ scenario of lineage or morphological diversification. The best-fitting models indicate that trait evolution in this group is characterized by abrupt phenotypic shifts (evolutionary jumps), with no sign of multiple phenotypic optima correlating with different trophic strategies. Thus, our results point to the existence of weak directional selection and suggest that lineages may be evolving randomly or slowly toward adaptive peaks they have not yet reached. Conclusions This study adds to a growing body of evidence indicating that the relationship between avian morphology and feeding ecology may be more complex than usually assumed and highlights the importance of adding more flexible models to the macroevolutionary toolbox.

【 授权许可】

Unknown