Data from: Distinct processes drive diversification in different clades of Gesneriaceae

Using a time-calibrated phylogenetic hypothesis including 768 Gesneriaceae species (out of ~3,300 species) and >29,000 aligned bases from 26 gene regions, we test Gesneriaceae for diversification rate shifts and the possible proximal drivers of these shifts: geographic distributions, growth forms, and pollination syndromes. BAMM analyses found five significant rate shifts in Beslerieae, core Nematanthus, core Columneinae, core Streptocarpus, and Pacific Cyrtandra. These rate shifts correspond with shifts in diversification rates, as inferred by BiSSE and GeoSSE, associated with hummingbird pollination, epiphytism, unifoliate growth, and geographic area. Our results suggest that diversification processes are extremely variable across Gesneriaceae clades with different combinations of characters influencing diversification rates in different clades. Diversification patterns between New and Old World lineages show dramatic differences, suggesting that the processes of diversification in Gesneriaceae are very different in these two geographic regions.