Tempo and drivers of plant diversification in the European mountain system

There is still limited consensus on the evolutionary history of species-rich temperate alpine floras due to a lack of comparable and high-quality phylogenetic data covering multiple plant lineages. Here we reconstructed when and how European alpine plant lineages diversified, i.e., the tempo and drivers of speciation events. We performed full-plastome phylogenomics and used multi-clade comparative models applied to six representative angiosperm lineages that have diversified in European mountains (212 sampled species, 251 ingroup species total). Diversification rates remained surprisingly steady for most clades, even during the Pleistocene, with speciation events being mostly driven by geographic divergence and bedrock shifts. Interestingly, we inferred asymmetrical historical migration rates from siliceous to calcareous bedrocks, and from higher to lower elevations, likely due to repeated shrinkage and expansion of high elevation habitats during the Pleistocene. This may have buffered climate-related extinctions, but prevented speciation along elevation gradients as often documented for tropical alpine floras

A multi-trait approach reveals the structure and the relative importance of intra- vs. interspecific variability in plant traits

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Data from: Reconstructing the origins of high-alpine niches and cushion life form in the genus Androsace s.l. (Primulaceae)

Relatively few species have been able to colonize extremely cold alpine environments. We investigate the role played by the cushion life form in the evolution of climatic niches in the plant genus Androsace s.l., which spreads across the mountain ranges of the Northern Hemisphere. Using robust methods that account for phylogenetic uncertainty, intraspecific variability of climatic requirements and different life history evolution scenarios, we show that climatic niches of Androsace s.l. exhibit low phylogenetic signal and that they evolved relatively recently and punctually. Models of niche evolution fitted onto phylogenies show that the cushion life form has been a key innovation providing the opportunity to occupy extremely cold environments, thus contributing to rapid climatic niche diversification in the genus Androsace. We then propose a plausible scenario for the adaptation of plants to alpine habitats

Data from: Reconstructing the origins of high-alpine niches and cushion life form in the genus Androsace s.l. (Primulaceae)

Relatively few species have been able to colonize extremely cold alpine environments. We investigate the role played by the cushion life form in the evolution of climatic niches in the plant genus Androsace s.l., which spreads across the mountain ranges of the Northern Hemisphere. Using robust methods that account for phylogenetic uncertainty, intraspecific variability of climatic requirements and different life history evolution scenarios, we show that climatic niches of Androsace s.l. exhibit low phylogenetic signal and that they evolved relatively recently and punctually. Models of niche evolution fitted onto phylogenies show that the cushion life form has been a key innovation providing the opportunity to occupy extremely cold environments, thus contributing to rapid climatic niche diversification in the genus Androsace. We then propose a plausible scenario for the adaptation of plants to alpine habitats

Can functional genomic diversity provide novel insights into mechanisms of community assembly? A pilot study from an invaded alpine streambed

International audienc

Rel_flo_GBIF

Floristic table (occurrence points) for all species in the Androsace (s.l.) with coordinates provided by GBIF.or

Clim_GBIF_2-5min

Extracted climatic variables for all occurrence points used in the study. The variables are the 19 Bioclim variables, at a 2.5' resolution. Each line corresponds to a site in the corresponding file of occurrences : Rel_flo_GBIF.tx

Consensus Chronogram for the Androsace genus

This consensus tree is rooted and ultrametric. The outgroups were trimmed