title: Phylogenetic structure of mammal assemblages at large geographical scales: linking phylogenetic community ecology with macroecology.
abstract: Phylogenetic community ecology seeks to explain the processes involved in the formation of species assemblages by analysing their phylogenetic structure, and to date has focused primarily on local-scale communities. Macroecology, on the other hand, is concerned with the structure of assemblages at large geographical scales, but has remained largely non-phylogenetic. Analysing the phylogenetic structure of large-scale assemblages provides a link between these two research programmes. In this paper, I ask whether we should expect large-scale assemblages to show significant phylogenetic structure, by outlining some of the ecological and macroevolutionary processes that may play a role in assemblage formation. As a case study, I then explore the phylogenetic structure of carnivore assemblages within the terrestrial ecoregions of Africa. Many assemblages at these scales are indeed phylogenetically non-random (either clustered or overdispersed). One interpretation of the observed patterns of phylogenetic structure is that many clades underwent rapid biome-filling radiations, followed by diversification slowdown and competitive sorting as niche space became saturated.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Macroevolution and Macroecology, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cardillo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003710:Demography; D017753:Ecosystem; D053476:Extinction, Biological; D049810:Genetic Speciation; D008322:Mammals / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010802:Phylogeny; D011156:Population Density