Data from: Recent extinctions disturb path to equilibrium diversity in Caribbean bats

Islands are ideal systems to reconstruct changes in biodiversity and
reveal the influence of humans on natural communities. While theory
predicts biodiversity on islands tends towards equilibrium, the recent
extinction of large proportions of island biotas complicates testing this
model. The well-preserved subfossil record of Caribbean bats provides a
rare opportunity to model diversity dynamics in an insular community. Here
we reconstruct the diversity trajectory in noctilionoid bats of the
Greater Antilles by applying a dynamic model of colonisation, extinction
and speciation to phylogenetic and paleontological data. We show species
richness asymptotes to an equilibrium value, demonstrating natural
equilibrium dynamics across an entire community. However, recent
extinctions have wiped out nearly a third of island lineages, dragging
diversity away from equilibrium. Using a metric to measure island
biodiversity loss, we estimate it will take at least eight million years
to regain pre-human diversity levels. Our integrative approach reveals how
anthropogenic extinctions can drastically alter the natural trajectory of
biological communities.