Diversity change during the rise of tetrapods and the impact of the ‘carboniferous rainforest collapse’

Dunne E, Close RA, Button DJ, Brocklehurst N, Cashmore DD, Lloyd GT, Butler RJ (2018)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2018

Journal

Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B: Biological Sciences Royal Society of London

Book Volume: 285

Article Number: 20172730

Journal Issue: 1872

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2730

Abstract

The Carboniferous and early Permian were critical intervals in the diversification of early four-limbed vertebrates (tetrapods), yet the major patterns of diversity and biogeography during this time remain unresolved. Previous estimates suggest that global tetrapod diversity rose continuously across this interval and that habitat fragmentation following the ‘Carboniferous rainforest collapse’ (CRC) drove increased endemism among communities. However, previous work failed to adequately account for spatial and temporal biases in sampling. Here, we reassess early tetrapod diversity and biogeography with a newglobal species-level dataset using sampling standardization and network biogeography methods. Our results support a tight relationship between observed richness and sampling, particularly during the Carboniferous. We found that subsampled species richness initially increased into the late Carboniferous, then decreased substantially across the Carboniferous/Permian boundary before slowly recovering in the early Permian. Ouranalysis of biogeography does not support the hypothesis that theCRCdrove endemism; instead, we found evidence for increased cosmopolitanismin the early Permian. While a changing environment may have played a role in reducing diversity in the earliest Permian, our results suggest that the CRC was followed by increased global connectivity between communities, possibly reflecting both reduced barriers to dispersal and the diversification of amniotes.

Authors with CRIS profile

Emma Dunne

Involved external institutions

University of Birmingham GB United Kingdom (GB) Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung / Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science DE Germany (DE) University of Leeds GB United Kingdom (GB) North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences US United States (USA) (US)

How to cite

APA:

Dunne, E., Close, R.A., Button, D.J., Brocklehurst, N., Cashmore, D.D., Lloyd, G.T., & Butler, R.J. (2018). Diversity change during the rise of tetrapods and the impact of the ‘carboniferous rainforest collapse’. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B: Biological Sciences, 285(1872). https://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.2730

MLA:

Dunne, Emma, et al. "Diversity change during the rise of tetrapods and the impact of the ‘carboniferous rainforest collapse’." Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B: Biological Sciences 285.1872 (2018).

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