Data from: Does the colonization of new biogeographic regions influence the diversification and accumulation of clade richness among the Corvides (Aves: Passeriformes)?

Regional variation in clade richness can be vast, reflecting differences
in the dynamics of historical dispersal and diversification among
lineages. Although it has been proposed that dispersal into new
biogeographic regions may facilitate diversification, to date there has
been limited assessment of the importance of this process in the
generation, and maintenance, of broad-scale biodiversity gradients. To
address this issue, we analytically derive biogeographic regions for a
global radiation of passerine birds (the Corvides, c. 790 species) that
are highly variable in the geographic and taxonomic distribution of
species. Subsequently, we determine rates of historical dispersal between
regions, the dynamics of diversification following regional colonization,
and spatial variation in the distribution of species that differ in their
rates of lineage diversification. The results of these analyses reveal
spatiotemporal differences in the build-up of lineages across regions. The
number of regions occupied and the rate of transition between regions both
predict family richness well, indicating that the accumulation of high
clade richness is associated with repeated expansion into new geographic
areas. However, only the largest family (the Corvidae) had significantly
heightened rates of both speciation and regional transition, implying that
repeated regional colonization is not a general mechanism promoting
lineage diversification among the Corvides.