title: Testing for coevolutionary diversification: linking pattern with process.
abstract: Coevolutionary diversification is cited as a major mechanism driving the evolution of diversity, particularly in plants and insects. However, tests of coevolutionary diversification have focused on elucidating macroevolutionary patterns rather than the processes giving rise to such patterns. Hence, there is weak evidence that coevolution promotes diversification. This is in part due to a lack of understanding about the mechanisms by which coevolution can cause speciation and the difficulty of integrating results across micro- and macroevolutionary scales. In this review, we highlight potential mechanisms of coevolutionary diversification, outline approaches to examine this process across temporal scales, and propose a set of minimal requirements for demonstrating coevolutionary diversification. Our aim is to stimulate research that tests more rigorously for coevolutionary diversification.
authors: Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA. Electronic address: dmalthof@syr.edu.
authors: David M
authors: DM
authors: Althoff
authors: Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA.
authors: Kari A
authors: KA
authors: Segraves
authors: Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada.
authors: Marc T J
authors: MT
authors: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D005075:Biological Evolution; D051456:Gene Flow; D049810:Genetic Speciation; D007313:Insecta; D010944:Plants; D060047:Reproductive Isolation; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal
keywords: coevolution; divergent selection; macroevolution; microevolution; reproductive isolation; speciation; species interactions