Body size and life history shape the historical biogeography of tetrapods

Abstract

Dispersal across biogeographic barriers is a key process determining global patterns of biodiversity as it allows lineages to colonize and diversify in new realms. Here we demonstrate that past biogeographic dispersal events often depended on species’ traits, by analysing 7,009 tetrapod species in 56 clades. Biogeographic models incorporating body size or life history accrued more statistical support than trait-independent models in 91% of clades. In these clades, dispersal rates increased by 28–32% for lineages with traits favouring successful biogeographic dispersal. Differences between clades in the effect magnitude of life history on dispersal rates are linked to the strength and type of biogeographic barriers and intra-clade trait variability. In many cases, large body sizes and fast life histories facilitate dispersal success. However, species with small bodies and/or slow life histories, or those with average traits, have an advantage in a minority of clades. Body size–dispersal relationships were related to a clade’s average body size and life history strategy. These results provide important new insight into how traits have shaped the historical biogeography of tetrapod lineages and may impact present-day and future biogeographic dispersal.

Age Structure and Body Size of the Plateau Brown Frog (Rana kukunoris) in the Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve and Potential Climatic Impacts on Its Life History Variations

“…The population size and fluctuations are important reference indicators for determining the conservation status of taxa and the need for protected areas [13,14]. Body size is a highly variable trait that is affected by age, gender, phylogeny, and the environment; conversely, it influences various life history characteristics and numerous ecological and evolutionary processes such as geographic range, dispersal ability, and reproductive strategies [15][16][17].…”

Unravelling arthropod movement in natural landscapes: small-scale effects of body size and weather conditions

“…In contrast to macro-ecological approaches that treat dispersal as colonisation at biogeographical scales (Weil et al, 2023), our methodology focusses on individual departure and settlement behaviour.…”

“…This study aims to understand the interplay between movement, body size and weather conditions at habitat boundaries by conducting a field release experiment on a diverse range of arthropod species. In contrast to macro-ecological approaches that treat dispersal as colonisation at biogeographical scales (Weil et al, 2023), our methodology focusses on individual departure and settlement behaviour. Multi-species experiments under similar environmental settings have the potential to yield generalisations on trait-environment correlations across and within species, and to understand potential evolutionary determinants of these relationships (Felsenstein, 1985).…”