Diversification dynamics in Caribbean rain frogs ( Eleutherodactylus ) are uncoupled from the anuran community and consistent with adaptive radiation

• Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences Biological sciences, 2023-01, Vol.290 (1990), p.20222171-20222171
• Main Authors: Jiménez-Ortega, Dante, Valente, Luis, Dugo-Cota, Álvaro, Rabosky, Daniel L, Vilà, Carles, Gonzalez-Voyer, Alejandro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anura; Biodiversity; Caribbean Region; Evolution; Genetic Speciation; Phylogeny; Ranidae
• ISSN: 0962-8452; 1471-2954
• DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2171

Adaptive radiation is proposed to play a key role in generating differences in species richness among lineages and geographical regions. Due to the importance of ecological divergence in adaptive radiation, species richness is predicted to be influenced by equilibrium diversity dynamics, although the concept continues to generate much debate. An additional important question is whether radiating clades have intrinsic biological characteristics that make them particularly prone to diversify. We tackle these questions by analysing (i) the temporal patterns of diversification of Caribbean frogs, and (ii) assembly of the complete native anuran community of the Caribbean archipelago (197 species), testing for the presence of equilibrium dynamics and whether diversification patterns of differ from those of the rest of the Caribbean anurans. Diversification rates follow the predicted pattern of rapid diversification early in the radiation which gradually decreases towards the present. diversification is significantly faster than that of the Caribbean anuran community, and although equilibrium dynamics influence richness of all Caribbean anurans, shows higher carrying capacity. Our results indicate that ecological opportunity is not sufficient for adaptive radiation and that diverse lineages present intrinsic characteristics that enable them to make the most of available opportunity.