No‐analogue associations in the fossil record of southern conifers reveal conservatism in precipitation, but not temperature axes

Abstract

AbstractAimSouthern conifers have evolved under different evolutionary pressures compared with northern lineages, but in both regions these plants have undergone extensive extinction and range alteration over the Cenozoic (the last 66 Myr). It is not possible to observe the ecology of fossils directly, but indirect evidence of changes in bioclimatic envelopes can be derived from no‐analogue assemblages (i.e., groups of co‐occurring fossils that have climatically incongruous living relatives). We identify and examine the specific pairs of no‐analogue fossils within assemblages to disentangle the effects of climatic factors on past conifer extinctions and suggest which of these factors are likely to threaten southern conifer biodiversity in the future.LocationSouthern Hemisphere.Time periodCenozoic.Major taxa studiedConifers.MethodsWe use a recently developed method, “hyperoverlap”, to identify no‐analogue pairs of southern conifers. We characterize each pair in terms of temperature and precipitation and evaluate temporal patterns in no‐analogue pairs. These analyses represent a novel approach to studying both no‐analogue fossils and past changes in bioclimatic envelopes.ResultsWe identified 240 no‐analogue pairs in the Cenozoic record of southern conifers. Most (75.4%) observations of no‐analogue pairs are likely to result from a change in the thermal (rather than hydrological) distribution between the fossil taxa and their extant counterparts, regardless of region or assemblage age. Thus, the fossil record shows some thermal lability, but strong hydrological stability in the tolerances of these plants. This implies that most southern conifers have inhabited wet climates through the Cenozoic, which is consistent with physiological evidence suggesting strong conservatism in drought tolerance.Main conclusionsSouthern conifers have adapted successfully to a wide range of temperatures, but future changes in rainfall are likely to pose the greatest threat to these plants, either directly or indirectly (e.g., through increased incidence of fire in mesic areas).