Niche filling predicts evolutionary trajectories in insular bird communities

Dufour, Paul; Sayol, Ferran; Steinbauer, Manuel J.; Cooke, Rob ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0601-8888; Faurby, Søren. 2024 Niche filling predicts evolutionary trajectories in insular bird communities. Functional Ecology. 12, pp. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14675

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Abstract/Summary

•1. Different theories have been proposed to explain the phenotypic changes observed in island lineages, but it remains unclear if predictable evolutionary trajectories can be identified within island communities. •2. Using a 3D functional space approach, we tested whether insular endemic species tend to evolve towards apparent holes in niche space (expecting niche filling) or tend to become generalists, that is, moving towards the centre of the functional space (expecting niche expansion). •3. We tested these two hypotheses in 378 insular endemic species from 24 islands of 8 archipelagos, including 177 prehistoric anthropogenically extinct species. Analyses were conducted with and without accounting for species size difference. •4. We found that 57% of island endemic species evolved towards more unoccupied regions of the global morphospace (i.e. more distinct body sizes compared to the ones of their ancestors), suggesting a tendency for niche filling. When adjusted traits for body size, we found that half of the endemic species (50%) showed more distinct trait values than their ancestors. •5. Results also revealed that certain dietary niches (terrestrial herbivores and nectarivores) evolved distinct body sizes more frequently. Differences noted between islands and archipelagos suggest that biogeographic factors may influence evolutionary trajectory and interactions between these two hypotheses. •6. Our study confirms that extinct species occupied specific niches that have been left vacant, suggesting that these evolutionary ‘oddities’ could be more sensitive to extinction. Overall, it calls for a global assessment of the avian functional diversity lost from recent extinctions.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14675
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Biodiversity (Science Area 2017-)
ISSN:	0269-8463
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	avian communities, birds, evolutionary trajectory, extinct species, functional space, islands
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Zoology Data and Information
Related URLs:	Dataset
Date made live:	24 Oct 2024 10:32 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/538288

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