Title
Regional landscape change triggered by Andean uplift: The extinction of Sparassodonta (Mammalia, Metatheria) in South America
Date Issued
01 March 2022
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Vallejos-Garrido P.
Espinoza-Aravena N.
Cooper R.B.
Silvestro D.
Hernández C.E.
Rodríguez-Serrano E.
Universidad de Concepción
Publisher(s)
Elsevier B.V.
Abstract
Sparassodonta, a Metatherian monophyletic group, was the main mammalian carnivore predator clade in South America from the Paleogene to the Early Pliocene (c. 66–3.5 Ma). However, there is still no consensus on the causes of their demise. Here, we use the fossil record and Bayesian diversification models to infer the origination and extinction rates for Sparassodonta. Then, we evaluate if their demise can be attributed to global temperature changes, Andean uplift, biotic interactions with their competitor and prey clades, and body mass evolution. That is biotic aspects in the context of the Red Queen model, abiotic aspects in the context of the Court Jester model, and an intrinsic lineage attribute. Our results show that this lineage is characterized by a positive near-zero net diversification rate indicating that the clade maintained a relatively low but stable diversity until the Middle Miocene when an increase in extinction rate drove them to decline and eventual extinction. Moreover, our results support the idea that a drastic regional landscape change triggered by the Andean uplift process affected their diversification dynamics, eventually driving them to extinction. These environmental changes could explicitly affect Sparassodonta lineages due to their ever-present vulnerability to extinction by near-zero net diversification rate and their highly specialized ecology that could have constrained adaptation to new South American landscapes.
Volume
210
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Zoología, Ornitología, Entomología, ciencias biológicas del comportamiento Ciencia veterinaria
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85125483075
Source
Global and Planetary Change
ISSN of the container
09218181
Sponsor(s)
KP, PVG, NEA were supported by the ANID Doctoral Fellowship numbers 21181388 , 21181276 , and 21201552 , respectively. D.S. and R.B.C. received funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation ( PCEFP3_187012 ). D.S. also received funding from the Swedish Research Council ( VR: 2019-04739 ). C.E.H. and E.R-S were founded by ANID FONDECYT grants ( 1170815 ; 1201506 ; 1170486 ) and VRID-UdeC grant VRID220.113.100-INV . We are grateful to the course "Eco-evolutionary dynamics in biogeography" conducted at Katalapi Park, where the original idea for this study was developed.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus