Data from: Non-equilibrium dynamics and floral trait interactions shape extant angiosperm diversity

Why are some traits and trait combinations exceptionally common across the
tree of life, whereas others are vanishingly rare? The distribution of
trait diversity across a clade at any time depends on the ancestral state
of the clade, the rate at which new phenotypes evolve, the differences in
speciation and extinction rates across lineages, and whether an
equilibrium has been reached. Here we examine the role of transition
rates, differential diversification (speciation minus extinction), and
non-equilibrium dynamics on the evolutionary history of angiosperms, a
clade well known for the abundance of some trait combinations and the
rarity of others. Our analysis reveals that three character states
(corolla present, bilateral symmetry, reduced stamen number) act
synergistically as a key innovation, doubling diversification rates for
lineages in which this combination occurs. However, this combination is
currently less common than predicted at equilibrium because the individual
characters evolve infrequently. Simulations suggest that angiosperms will
remain far from the equilibrium frequencies of character states well into
the future. Such non-equilibrium dynamics may be common when major
innovations evolve rarely, allowing lineages with ancestral forms to
persist, and even outnumber those with diversification-enhancing states,
for tens of millions of years.