Omnivory in birds is a macroevolutionary sink

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 11250 - 10
• Main Authors: Burin, Gustavo, Kissling, W. Daniel, Guimarães, Paulo R., Şekercioğlu, Çağan H., Quental, Tiago B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 07.04.2016; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/158/853; 631/158/857; Animals; Birds; Birds - classification; Birds - genetics; Carnivores; Carnivory - physiology; Diet; Extinction, Biological; Fishes; Food Chain; Food resources; Genetic Speciation; Herbivores; Herbivory - genetics; Humanities and Social Sciences; Insecta; Insectivores; Models, Statistical; multidisciplinary; Omnivores; Phylogeny; Plant Nectar; Poaceae; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Speciation; Species extinction

Diet is commonly assumed to affect the evolution of species, but few studies have directly tested its effect at macroevolutionary scales. Here we use Bayesian models of trait-dependent diversification and a comprehensive dietary database of all birds worldwide to assess speciation and extinction dyn...