Phylogenetic structure of vertebrate communities across the Australian arid zone

AIM: To understand the relative importance of ecological and historical factors in structuring terrestrial vertebrate assemblages across the Australian arid zone, and to contrast patterns of community phylogenetic structure at a continental scale. LOCATION: Australia. METHODS: We present evidence from six lineages of terrestrial vertebrates (five lizard clades and one clade of marsupial mice) that have diversified in arid and semi-arid Australia across 37 biogeographical regions. Measures of within-lineage community phylogenetic structure and species turnover were computed to examine how patterns differ across the continent and between taxonomic groups. These results were examined in relation to climatic and historical factors, which are thought to play a role in community phylogenetic structure. Analyses using a novel sliding-window approach confirm the generality of processes structuring the assemblages of the Australian arid zone at different spatial scales. RESULTS: Phylogenetic str...