Correlates of speciation and extinction rates in the Carnivora

摘要: Despite great research interest in macroevolutionary patterns mammals, the factors causing differences diversity among carnivoran lineages remain unclear. In this study, I analyse whether body size, degree of trophic specialization and sociality level are associated with speciation and/or extinction rates during their recent evolutionary history (Miocene to Recent). control for effects phylogenetic non-independence use data on both fossil extant taxa estimate rates. The results, albeit based a small sample indicate that highly social carnivorans have significantly higher than live solitarily or family groups. results also effect is independent size specialization. This pattern explained by combined intense intra-guild competition, Allee relatively effective population sizes display reproductive suppression.