Conservatism of Ecological Niches in Evolutionary Time

A. Townsend Peterson; Jorge Soberón; V. Sánchez-Cordero

doi:10.1126/science.285.5431.1265

Abstract

Theory predicts low niche differentiation between species over evolutionary time scales, but little empirical evidence is available. Reciprocal geographic predictions based on ecological niche models of sister taxon pairs of birds, mammals, and butterflies in southern Mexico indicate niche conservatism over several million years of independent evolution (between putative sister taxon pairs) but little conservatism at the level of families. Niche conservatism over such time scales indicates that speciation takes place in geographic, not ecological, dimensions and that ecological differences evolve later.

Keywords

NicheEcological nicheConservatismEcologyReciprocalTaxonNiche segregationSister groupBiologyEvolutionary biologyPhylogeneticsCladeHabitat

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Publication Info

Year: 1999
Type: article
Volume: 285
Issue: 5431
Pages: 1265-1267
Citations: 1503
Access: Closed

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APA Style

                            
                                    A. Townsend Peterson, 
                                
                                    Jorge Soberón, 
                                
                                    V. Sánchez-Cordero
                                
                            (1999). 
                            Conservatism of Ecological Niches in Evolutionary Time. 
                            Science
                            , 285
                            (5431)
                            , 1265-1267.
                            https://doi.org/10.1126/science.285.5431.1265

Identifiers

DOI: 10.1126/science.285.5431.1265