Recently evolved diversity and convergent radiations of rainforest mahoganies (Meliaceae) shed new light on the origins of rainforest hyperdiversity

• DOI: 10.1111/nph.13490
• Publication Date: 2015-06-05T16:20:32Z
• Authors: Erik J. M. Koenen; James J. Clarkson; Terence D. Pennin...; Lars W. Chatrou
• Keywords: Meliaceae; Tropical rain forest

Tropical rainforest hyperdiversity is often suggested to have evolved over a long time-span (the 'museum' model), but there also evidence for recent radiations. The mahoganies (Meliaceae) are prominent plant group in lowland tropical rainforests world-wide occur all other ecosystems. We investigated whether diversity Meliaceae has accumulated time or more recently evolved. inferred the largest time-calibrated phylogeny family date, reconstructed ancestral states habitat and deciduousness, estimated diversification rates modeled potential shifts macro-evolutionary processes using developed Bayesian method. as deciduous species that inhabited seasonal habitats. Rainforest clades diversified from Late Oligocene Early Miocene onwards. Two contemporaneous Amazonian converged on similar ecologies high speciation rates. Most species-level of recent. Other studies found steady accumulation lineages, large majority recent, suggesting (episodic) turnover. may best be explained by radiations stock higher level taxa.