Testing adaptive regime shifts for range size evolution of endemic birds of China

Abstract

In this brief report, adaptive regime shifts for the range size evolution of the endemic birds of China were identified. Four models with different biological meanings were tested and compared through maximum likelihood models, including the Brownian motion model, one global optimal range size model for all lineages in the phylogeny, two optimal regime model of range sizes for lineages with large and small range sizes (OU2), and three optimal regime model in which an additional regime is added to the ancestral lineages. The results of model evaluation and comparison using the maximum likelihood technique show that over 48 endemic taxa, two optimal regimes (the OU2 model) were observed for bird lineages with large and small range sizes in the country. The possible reasons for such an observation were outlined accordingly, including the different evolutionary times, which were subjected to different historical and geological conditions, heterogeneous environmental conditions, and complex climatic fluctuations. Overall, the range size evolution of the endemic taxa was subjected to multiple selective stresses. For future implications, more studies are desired to provide a holistic view of the evolution and divergence of endemic taxa.