Asynchronous demographic responses to Pleistocene climate change in Eastern Nearctic vertebrates

Journal Article · 25 October 2016 · Ecology Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.12695 · OSTI ID:1401026

Burbrink, Frank T. ^[1]; Chan, Yvonne L. ^[2]; Myers, Edward A. ^[3]; Ruane, Sara ^[4]; Smith, Brian Tilston ^[5]; Hickerson, Michael J. ^[6]; Sgro, ed., Carla

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1. Department of Herpetology The American Museum of Natural History Central Park West and 79th Street New York NY 10024 USA
2. iDepartment ’Iolani School 563 Kamoku Street Honolulu HI 96826 USA
3. Department of Biology 6S‐143 College of Staten Island 2800 Victory Boulevard Staten Island NY 10314 USA, Department of Biology The Graduate School and University Center The City University of New York 365 Fifth Ave. NY 10016 USA
4. Museum of Natural Science Louisiana State University 119 Foster Hall Baton Rouge LA 70803 USA
5. Department of Ornithology The American Museum of Natural History Central Park West and 79th Street New York NY 10024 USA
6. Department of Biology The Graduate School and University Center The City University of New York 365 Fifth Ave. NY 10016 USA, Biology Department City College of New York New York NY 10016 USA, Division of Invertebrate Zoology The American Museum of Natural History Central Park West and 79th Street New York NY 10024 USA

Abstract Pleistocene climatic cycles altered species distributions in the Eastern Nearctic of North America, yet the degree of congruent demographic response to the Pleistocene among codistributed taxa remains unknown. We use a hierarchical approximate Bayesian computational approach to test if population sizes across lineages of snakes, lizards, turtles, mammals, birds, salamanders and frogs in this region expanded synchronously to Late Pleistocene climate changes. Expansion occurred in 75% of 74 lineages, and of these, population size trajectories across the community were partially synchronous, with coexpansion found in at least 50% of lineages in each taxonomic group. For those taxa expanding outside of these synchronous pulses, factors related to when they entered the community, ecological thresholds or biotic interactions likely condition their timing of response to Pleistocene climate change. Unified timing of population size change across communities in response to Pleistocene climate cycles is likely rare in North America.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 1401026
• Journal Information: Ecology Letters, Journal Name: Ecology Letters Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 19; ISSN 1461-023X
• Publisher: Wiley-BlackwellCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United Kingdom
• Language: English