The fate of South America’s endemic mammalian fauna in response to the most dramatic Cenozoic climate disruption
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
122(20)
Published: May 5, 2025
Around
34
Mya,
the
Eocene−Oligocene
transition
(EOT)
marked
most
dramatic
global
climatic
cooling
of
Cenozoic.
On
a
planetary
scale,
paleontological
evidence
suggests
that
this
was
associated
with
major
faunal
turnovers,
sometimes
even
regarded
as
mass
extinction
crisis.
In
South
America,
there
is
no
consensus
on
response
endemic
mammals
to
transition.
Here,
using
vetted
fossil
dataset
and
cutting-edge
Bayesian
methods,
we
analyzed
dynamics
American
mammal
(SAM)
diversification
their
possible
drivers
across
latitude
(tropical
vs.
extratropical),
taxonomic
groups,
trophic
guilds
throughout
(
ca.
56
23
Ma).
Our
results
did
not
any
among
SAM
at
EOT.
Instead,
they
experienced
gradual
long-term
diversity
decline
from
middle
Eocene
early
Oligocene,
followed
by
sudden
waxing-and-waning
large
taxonomic—but
ecological—turnover.
Tropical
extratropical
lineages
have
had
very
distinct
macroevolutionary
histories.
No
effective
change
in
pace
which
tropical
diversify
found,
thus
favoring
stability
hypothesis
proposed
Wallace.
Diversity-dependent
effects,
temperature,
Andean
uplift
were
recovered
probable
period.
Contrasting
casts
doubt
common
primarily
linking
Oligocene
changes
grassland
expansion.
findings
illustrate
uniqueness
deep-time
interplay
between
physical
environment
context
shift,
highlighting
need
consider
regional
idiosyncrasies
for
understanding
coevolution
life
climate.
Language: Английский
Spatiotemporal variability in the South American mammalian fossil record and its impact on macroevolutionary inference
Frontiers in Mammal Science,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
3
Published: Jan. 7, 2025
Macroevolutionary
studies
using
the
fossil
record
have
provided
valuable
information
about
evolutionary
history
of
mammals,
helping
us
to
understand
some
processes
underlying
shifts
in
diversification
dynamics.
Yet,
most
on
mammal
focused
Northern
Hemisphere.
The
general
view
that
quality
South
American
clades
is
too
limited
has
precluded
continental-level
macroevolutionary
continent.
However,
adequately
evaluate
how
much
we
can
learn
from
record,
need
limitations
affect
uncertainty
estimates.
Here,
investigated
spatiotemporal
distribution
occurrences
eleven
mammalian
and
used
a
Bayesian
approach
accounts
for
incompleteness
analyze
estimates
times
origination
extinction,
extinction
rates
are
affected
by
record.
We
show
main
shortcoming
not
its
overall
but
unevenness.
Most
early
immigrant
lower
preservation
than
late
clades.
Accordingly,
root
age
larger
earlier
Despite
were
still
able
identify
significant
rate
throughout
may
be
explained
environmental
changes.
also
find
discrepancies
with
patterns
inferred
phylogenies,
which
suggest
detect
fossils
might
reflect
regional
trends
or
driven
lineages
higher
preservation.
Contrasting
results
obtained
different
approaches,
such
as
molecular
data,
where
they
converge
diverge,
help
delineate
spatial
scale
phylogenetic
scope
observed
patterns.
Our
work
contributes
better
understanding
opportunities
research
evolution
mammals
Language: Английский