Data from: Temporal patterns of diversification across global cichlid biodiversity (Acanthomorpha: Cichlidae)

The contrasting distribution of species diversity across the major lineages of cichlids makes them an ideal group for investigating macroevolutionary processes. In this study, we investigate whether different rates of diversification may explain the disparity in species richness across cichlid lineages globally. We present the most taxonomically robust time-calibrated hypothesis of cichlid evolutionary relationships to date. We then utilize this temporal framework to investigate whether both species-rich and depauperate lineages are associated with rapid shifts in diversification rates and if exceptional species richness can be explained by clade age alone. A single significant rapid rate shift increase is detected within the evolutionary history of the African subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae, which includes the haplochromins of the East African Great Lakes. Several lineages from the subfamilies Pseudocrenilabrinae (Australotilapiini, Oreochromini) and Cichlinae (Heroini) exhibit exceptional species richness given their clade age, a net rate of diversification, and relative rates of extinction, indicating that clade age alone is not a sufficient explanation for their increased diversity. Our results indicate that the Neotropical Cichlinae includes lineages that have not experienced a significant rapid burst in diversification when compared to certain African lineages (rift lake). Neotropical cichlids have remained comparatively understudied with regard to macroevolutionary patterns relative to African lineages, and our results indicate that of Neotropical lineages, the tribe Heroini may have an elevated rate of diversification in contrast to other Neotropical cichlids. These findings provide insight into our understanding of the diversification patterns across taxonomically disparate lineages in this diverse clade of freshwater fishes and one of the most species-rich families of vertebrates.

慈鲷科主要支系间物种多样性的分布格局存在显著差异，使其成为研究宏观演化过程的理想类群。本研究旨在探究多样化速率的差异，能否解释全球范围内慈鲷各支系间物种丰富度的不均衡分布。我们迄今已构建了分类学稳健性最高的慈鲷演化关系时间校准假说。随后，我们依托该时间框架开展分析，以验证物种丰富支系与物种贫乏支系是否均与多样化速率的快速转变相关，同时探究极高的物种丰富度是否仅可通过支系年龄加以解释。研究团队在非洲副丽鱼亚科（Pseudocrenilabrinae）的演化历史中，仅检测到一次显著的快速速率上升转变，该亚科包含东非大湖的单系慈鲷类群（haplochromins）。副丽鱼亚科（Pseudocrenilabrinae）中的澳土丽鱼族（Australotilapiini）、口孵丽鱼族（Oreochromini），以及丽鱼亚科（Cichlinae）中的英雄丽鱼族（Heroini）的多个支系，尽管其支系年龄、净多样化速率及相对灭绝速率均处于常规水平，却展现出极高的物种丰富度，这表明仅依靠支系年龄不足以解释其多样性的提升。本研究结果显示，与部分非洲裂谷湖支系相比，新热带界的丽鱼亚科（Cichlinae）部分支系并未经历显著的快速多样化爆发。相较于非洲慈鲷支系，新热带界慈鲷的宏观演化模式研究仍较为匮乏；本研究结果表明，在新热带界慈鲷类群中，英雄丽鱼族（Heroini）的多样化速率可能高于其他新热带慈鲷支系。本研究结果为理解这一多样的淡水鱼类类群（同时也是物种最丰富的脊椎动物类群之一）内不同分类学支系的多样化格局提供了新的见解。