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Darwin’s second ‘abominable mystery’: trait flexibility as the innovation leading to angiosperm diversity
Author(s) -
Onstein Renske E.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/nph.16294
Subject(s) - trait , biology , diversification (marketing strategy) , extant taxon , evolutionary biology , clade , adaptation (eye) , ecology , phylogenetics , genetics , gene , marketing , neuroscience , business , computer science , programming language
Summary The fact that angiosperms are so species‐rich and ecologically diverse – Darwin’s second abominable mystery – could be explained by their ability to ‘reinvent’ themselves by evolving functional traits repeatedly over time, space and taxonomic clades. These trait innovations may facilitate adaptation and increase diversification rates. In this article, I quantify this ‘trait flexibility’ by reviewing the literature on trait transition rates and trait‐dependent diversification rates in angiosperms and their extant sister clade, acrogymnosperms. I show that angiosperms indeed evolved elevated trait transition and trait‐dependent diversification rates compared to gymnosperms, and rates are highest within species‐rich angiosperm orders (e.g. Fabales, Lamiales). The (genetic) ability of certain angiosperm lineages to repeatedly evolve adaptive traits may have facilitated sustained high net diversification resulting from numerous episodic radiations.