Ruminant inner ear shape records 35 million years of neutral evolution

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34656-0
• Publication Date: 2022-12-06T20:50:23Z
• Authors: Bastien Mennecart; Ilya Dziomber; Manuela Aiglstorfer; Faysal Bibi; Daniel DeMiguel; Masaki Fujita; Mugino O. Kubo; Flavie Laurens; Jin Meng; Grégoire Métais; Bert Müller; María Ríos; Gertrud E. Rössner; Israel M. Sánchez; Georg Schulz; Shiqi Wang; Loïc Costeur
• Keywords: Rate of evolution; Bovidae

Abstract Extrinsic and intrinsic factors impact diversity. On deep-time scales, the extrinsic of climate geology are crucial, but poorly understood. Here, we use inner ear morphology ruminant artiodactyls to test for a correlation between low adaptive anatomical structure both variables. We apply geometric morphometric analyses in phylogenetic frame X-ray computed tomographic data from 191 species. Contrasting results across clades show that neutral evolutionary processes over time may strongly influence evolution morphology. Extant, ecologically diversified increase their rate with decreasing Cenozoic global temperatures. Evolutionary peaks colonization new continents. Simultaneously, restricted declining or unchanged rates. These suggest paleogeography produced heterogeneous environments, which likely facilitated Cervidae Bovidae diversification exemplifies effect on ruminants.