Data from: Frugivory-related traits promote speciation of tropical palms

Animal-mediated seed dispersal by frugivorous birds and mammals is central to the ecology and functioning of ecosystems, but whether and how frugivory-related traits have affected plant speciation remains little explored. Fruit size is directly linked to plant dispersal capacity and therefore influences gene flow and genetic divergence of plant populations. Using a global species-level phylogeny with comprehensive data on fruit sizes and plant species distributions, we test whether fruit size has affected speciation rates of palms (Arecaceae), a plant family characteristic of tropical rainforests. Globally, the results reveal that palms with small fruit sizes have increased speciation rates compared with those with large (megafaunal) fruits. Speciation of small-fruited palms is particularly high in the understory of tropical rainforests in the New World, and on islands in the Old World. This suggests that frugivory-related traits in combination with geography and the movement behaviour of frugivores can influence the speciation of fleshy-fruited plants.

食果鸟类与哺乳动物介导的动物传播种子过程，是生态系统生态学特征与运行功能的核心环节。但食果相关性状如何以及是否对植物物种形成产生影响，目前仍鲜有研究。果实大小直接关联植物的传播能力，进而影响植物种群的基因流与遗传分化。本研究借助涵盖果实大小与植物物种分布全面数据的全球物种水平系统发育树，检验果实大小是否会影响作为热带雨林代表性类群的棕榈科（Arecaceae）植物的物种形成速率。全球尺度分析结果显示，相较于拥有大型（巨型动物传播型）果实的棕榈类群，小果实棕榈的物种形成速率更高。小果实棕榈的物种形成速率在新世界热带雨林林下以及旧世界岛屿中尤为突出。这表明，食果相关性状结合地理环境与食果动物的移动行为，能够影响肉质果植物的物种形成过程。