Data from: Convergent and correlated evolution of major life-history traits in the angiosperm genus Leucadendron (Proteaceae)

Natural selection is expected to cause convergence of life histories among taxa as well as correlated evolution of different life history traits. Here, we quantify the extent of convergence of five key life history traits (adult fire survival, seed storage, degree of sexual dimorphism, pollination mode and seed dispersal mode) and test hypotheses about their correlated evolution in the genus Leucadendron (Proteaceae) from the fire-prone South-African fynbos. We reconstructed a new molecular phylogeny of this highly diverse genus that involves more taxa and molecular markers than previously. This reconstruction identifies new clades that were not detected by previous molecular study and morphological classifications. Using this new phylogeny and robust methods that account for phylogenetic uncertainty, we show that the five life history traits studied were labile during the evolutionary history of the genus. This diversity allowed us to tackle major questions about the correlated evolution of life history strategies. We found that species with longer seed dispersal distances tended to evolve lower pollen dispersal distance, that insect-pollinated species evolved decreased sexual dimorphism, and that species with a persistent soil seed bank evolved towards reduced fire survival ability of adults.自然选择可促使不同类群的生活史（life histories）发生趋同，同时驱动不同生活史性状产生协同演化。本文定量分析了五个关键生活史性状——成体火灾存活率、种子储存特性、性二态程度、传粉模式及种子传播模式——的趋同程度，并针对源自南非易发生火灾的凡波斯植被区的山龙眼科（Proteaceae）银叶树属（Leucadendron）类群，检验了其相关性状的协同演化假说。 本研究重建了该高度多样属的全新分子系统发育（molecular phylogeny），相较于既往研究，其纳入的类群与分子标记（molecular markers）数量更多。本次系统发育重建识别出了以往分子研究与形态分类体系均未发现的全新演化支（clades）。依托这一新的系统发育框架，并采用考虑系统发育不确定性（phylogenetic uncertainty）的稳健分析方法，我们发现所研究的五个生活史性状在该属的演化历程中均具有较高的演化可塑性。 该属丰富的性状多样性为我们探讨生活史策略协同演化的核心科学问题提供了契机。研究结果显示：种子传播距离更长的物种，其花粉传播距离往往更短；以昆虫为传粉媒介的物种，其性二态程度有所降低；拥有持久土壤种子库（persistent soil seed bank）的物种，其成体的火灾存活率呈现出向更低水平演化的趋势。