Data from: Iterative ecological radiation and convergence during the evolutionary history of damselfishes (Pomacentridae)

Coral reef fishes represent one of the most spectacularly diverse assemblages of vertebrates on the planet, but our understanding of their mode of diversification remains limited. Here we test whether the diversity of the damselfishes (Pomacentridae), one of the most species-rich families of reef-associated fishes, was produced by a single or multiple adaptive radiation(s) during their evolutionary history. Tests of the tempo of lineage diversification using a time-calibrated phylogeny including 208 species revealed that crown pomacentrid diversification has not slowed through time as expected under a scenario of a single adaptive radiation resulting from an early burst of diversification. Evolutionary modeling of trophic traits similarly rejected the hypothesis of early among-lineage partitioning of ecologically important phenotypic diversity. Instead, damselfishes are shown to have experienced iterative convergent radiations wherein subclades radiate across similar trophic strategies (i.e., pelagic feeders, benthic feeders, intermediate) and morphologies. Regionalization of coral reefs, competition, and functional constraints may have fueled iterative ecological radiation and convergent evolution of damselfishes. Through the Pomacentridae, we illustrate that radiations may be strongly structured by the nature of the constraints on diversification.珊瑚礁鱼类是地球上脊椎动物类群中物种多样性极为丰富的类群之一，但目前学界对其多样化模式的认知仍较为有限。本研究以雀鲷科（Pomacentridae）为研究对象——该类群是珊瑚礁关联鱼类中物种丰富度最高的类群之一——旨在探究其演化历程中的物种多样化究竟由单次适应性辐射驱动，还是经历了多轮适应性辐射事件。本研究基于涵盖208个物种的时间校准系统发育树，对类群的多样化速率进行分析，结果显示冠群雀鲷科的多样化速率并未如“由早期爆发式多样化引发的单次适应性辐射”这一情景所预期的那样，随时间推移而放缓。对营养性状的演化建模分析同样否定了“早期类群间即完成具有生态重要性的表型多样性分化”这一假说。与之相反，研究表明雀鲷科经历了迭代式趋同辐射：其各亚支系均沿着相似的营养生态位策略（即浮游食性类群、底栖食性类群与中间型食性类群）以及对应的形态特征开展辐射演化。珊瑚礁的区域分化、种间竞争以及功能约束可能共同推动了雀鲷科的迭代式生态辐射与趋同演化。本研究以雀鲷科为案例，揭示了物种多样化的约束本质可能对辐射演化过程起到极强的塑造作用。