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Aim: Due to the sessile nature of flowering plants, movements to new geographical areas occur mainly during seed dispersal. Frugivores tend to be efficient dispersers because animals move within the boundaries of their preferable niches, so seeds are more likely to be transported to environments that are similar to where the parent plant occurs. However, this efficiency can result in less opportunity for niche shifts over macroevolutionary time, 'trapping' plant lineages in particular climatic conditions. Here we test this hypothesis by analysing the role that the interaction with frugivores play in changing dynamics of climatic niche evolution in five clades of flowering plants. Location: Global. Taxon: The flowering plant families Apocynaceae, Ericaceae, Melastomataceae, Rosaceae and Solanaceae. Methods: We model climatic niche evolution as a variable parameter Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process. However, rather than assuming regimes a priori, we use a hidden Markov model (HMM) to infer the complex evolutionary history associated with different modes of seed dispersal. In addition to allowing for a more accurate picture of the regimes, the use of HMMs allows partitioning the variance of climatic niche evolution to include dynamics independent of our focal character. Results: Lineages dispersed by frugivores tend to have warmer and wetter climatic optima and are generally associated with areas where potential for vegetation growth is higher. However, lineages distributed in more mesic habitats, such as rainforests, are generally associated with slower rates of climatic niche evolution regardless of their mode of seed dispersal. Main Conclusions: Characteristics of the abiotic environment may facilitate the evolution of some types of plant–animal interactions. Association with frugivores is an important modulator of how plants move in space, but its impact on their climatic niche evolution appears to be indirect. Seed dispersal by frugivores may facilitate the establishment of lineages in closed canopy biomes, but the general slower rates of climatic niche evolution in these habitats are possibly related to other general aspects of the 'mesic syndrome' rather than the behaviour of the animals that disperse their seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimates of diversification rates at the tips of a phylogeny provide a flexible approach for correlation analyses with multiple traits and to map diversification rates in space while also avoiding the uncertainty of deep time rate reconstructions. Available methods for tip rate estimation make different assumptions, and thus their accuracy usually depends on the characteristics of the underlying model generating the tree. Here, we introduce MiSSE, a trait‐free, state‐dependent speciation and extinction approach that can be used to estimate varying speciation, extinction, net diversification, turnover, and extinction fractions at the tips of the tree. We compare the accuracy of tip rates inferred by MiSSE against similar methods and demonstrate that, due to certain characteristics of the model, the error is generally low across a broad range of speciation and extinction scenarios. MiSSE can be used alongside regular phylogenetic comparative methods in trait‐related diversification hypotheses, and we also describe a simple correction to avoid pseudoreplication from sister tips in analyses of independent contrasts. Finally, we demonstrate the capabilities of MiSSE, with a renewed focus on classic comparative methods, to examine the correlation between plant height and turnover rates in eucalypts, a species‐rich lineage of flowering plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With ca. 2500 species, Myrteae is the largest tribe of Myrtaceae and one of the most diverse groups of flowering plants in the tropical Americas. In light of recent systematics adjustments, the present study is a review and provides new insights into floral diversity and evolution in Myrteae. General aspects of floral ontogeny and morphology for the fifty currently accepted genera plus all accepted sections within the large genera Eugenia and Myrcia are summarized based on current morphological data. The discussion provides a broader understanding of the floral diversity across the tribe, highlighting developmental modes, ecological traits, and specializations in reproductive strategies. Hypotheses to be tested in future studies are also presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myrtaceae are one of the largest families of flowering plants and are widely distributed in the Neotropics, where they are mainly represented by the tribe Myrteae. Myrteae are the most species-rich tribe of Myrtaceae and include groups with significant ecological and economic importance. Myrteae are considered to be a model group for biodiversity studies in the Neotropics, and so understanding the history of their diversification in this area is extremely important. The last decade has witnessed an increase in macro- and microevolutionary studies of the group, and summarizing this knowledge is now crucial to plan future steps in research on Myrteae. Here we provide the first overview of evolution and diversification studies on Myrteae, highlighting recent advances in understanding their evolutionary history. We discuss biogeography, phylogeny, phylogeography, population genetics, genomics and cytology in light of current knowledge. Finally, we provide perspectives and open hypotheses to be tested in future studies to fill gaps in the evolutionary knowledge of specific groups/taxa in Myrteae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]