IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v13y2022i1d10.1038_s41467-022-31512-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Rapid Eocene diversification of spiny plants in subtropical woodlands of central Tibet

Author

Listed:
  • Xinwen Zhang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Uriel Gélin

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Robert A. Spicer

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    The Open University)

  • Feixiang Wu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Alexander Farnsworth

    (University of Bristol
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Peirong Chen

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Cédric Del Rio

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    CR2P - Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie – Paris, MNHN - Sorbonne Université - CNRS)

  • Shufeng Li

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Jia Liu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Jian Huang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Teresa E. V. Spicer

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Kyle W. Tomlinson

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Paul J. Valdes

    (University of Bristol)

  • Xiaoting Xu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Shitao Zhang

    (Kunming University of Science and Technology)

  • Tao Deng

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Zhekun Zhou

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Tao Su

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

Spinescence is an important functional trait possessed by many plant species for physical defence against mammalian herbivores. The development of spinescence must have been closely associated with both biotic and abiotic factors in the geological past, but knowledge of spinescence evolution suffers from a dearth of fossil records, with most studies focusing on spatial patterns and spinescence-herbivore interactions in modern ecosystems. Numerous well-preserved Eocene (~39 Ma) plant fossils exhibiting seven different spine morphologies discovered recently in the central Tibetan Plateau, combined with molecular phylogenetic character reconstruction, point not only to the presence of a diversity of spiny plants in Eocene central Tibet but a rapid diversification of spiny plants in Eurasia around that time. These spiny plants occupied an open woodland landscape, indicated by numerous megafossils and grass phytoliths found in the same deposits, as well as numerical climate and vegetation modelling. Our study shows that regional aridification and expansion of herbivorous mammals may have driven the diversification of functional spinescence in central Tibetan woodlands, ~24 million years earlier than similar transformations in Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Xinwen Zhang & Uriel Gélin & Robert A. Spicer & Feixiang Wu & Alexander Farnsworth & Peirong Chen & Cédric Del Rio & Shufeng Li & Jia Liu & Jian Huang & Teresa E. V. Spicer & Kyle W. Tomlinson & Paul , 2022. "Rapid Eocene diversification of spiny plants in subtropical woodlands of central Tibet," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-31512-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31512-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31512-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-022-31512-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gavin L. Foster & Dana L. Royer & Daniel J. Lunt, 2017. "Future climate forcing potentially without precedent in the last 420 million years," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-8, April.
    2. Ian J. Wright & Peter B. Reich & Mark Westoby & David D. Ackerly & Zdravko Baruch & Frans Bongers & Jeannine Cavender-Bares & Terry Chapin & Johannes H. C. Cornelissen & Matthias Diemer & Jaume Flexas, 2004. "The worldwide leaf economics spectrum," Nature, Nature, vol. 428(6985), pages 821-827, April.
    3. Amy E. Zanne & David C. Tank & William K. Cornwell & Jonathan M. Eastman & Stephen A. Smith & Richard G. FitzJohn & Daniel J. McGlinn & Brian C. O’Meara & Angela T. Moles & Peter B. Reich & Dana L. Ro, 2014. "Three keys to the radiation of angiosperms into freezing environments," Nature, Nature, vol. 506(7486), pages 89-92, February.
    4. Amy E. Zanne & David C. Tank & William K. Cornwell & Jonathan M. Eastman & Stephen A. Smith & Richard G. FitzJohn & Daniel J. McGlinn & Brian C. O’Meara & Angela T. Moles & Peter B. Reich & Dana L. Ro, 2014. "Correction: Corrigendum: Three keys to the radiation of angiosperms into freezing environments," Nature, Nature, vol. 514(7522), pages 394-394, October.
    5. David B. Rowley & Brian S. Currie, 2006. "Palaeo-altimetry of the late Eocene to Miocene Lunpola basin, central Tibet," Nature, Nature, vol. 439(7077), pages 677-681, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Valentin Journé & Andrew Hacket-Pain & Michał Bogdziewicz, 2023. "Evolution of masting in plants is linked to investment in low tissue mortality," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Laurent Augusto & Antra Boča, 2022. "Tree functional traits, forest biomass, and tree species diversity interact with site properties to drive forest soil carbon," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Hong Qian & Shenhua Qian & Jian Zhang & Michael Kessler, 2024. "Effects of climate and environmental heterogeneity on the phylogenetic structure of regional angiosperm floras worldwide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Andrea Santangeli & Benjamin Weigel & Laura H. Antão & Elina Kaarlejärvi & Maria Hällfors & Aleksi Lehikoinen & Andreas Lindén & Maija Salemaa & Tiina Tonteri & Päivi Merilä & Kristiina Vuorio & Otso , 2023. "Mixed effects of a national protected area network on terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    5. Yina Ma & Shixiong Wang & Qing Zhang & Kun Guo & Yuejun He & Danmei Chen & Mingzhen Sui & Guangqi Zhang & Lipeng Zang & Qingfu Liu, 2022. "Aerial Seeding Promotes the Restoration of Ecosystem Health in Mu Us Sandy Grasslands in China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-13, August.
    6. Eric Strobl, 2022. "Preserving local biodiversity through crop diversification," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(3), pages 1140-1174, May.
    7. Tong Qiu & Robert Andrus & Marie-Claire Aravena & Davide Ascoli & Yves Bergeron & Roberta Berretti & Daniel Berveiller & Michal Bogdziewicz & Thomas Boivin & Raul Bonal & Don C. Bragg & Thomas Caignar, 2022. "Limits to reproduction and seed size-number trade-offs that shape forest dominance and future recovery," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    8. Kun Guo & Petr Pyšek & Mark Kleunen & Nicole L. Kinlock & Magdalena Lučanová & Ilia J. Leitch & Simon Pierce & Wayne Dawson & Franz Essl & Holger Kreft & Bernd Lenzner & Jan Pergl & Patrick Weigelt & , 2024. "Plant invasion and naturalization are influenced by genome size, ecology and economic use globally," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    9. Dimitar Dimitrov & Xiaoting Xu & Xiangyan Su & Nawal Shrestha & Yunpeng Liu & Jonathan D. Kennedy & Lisha Lyu & David Nogués-Bravo & James Rosindell & Yong Yang & Jon Fjeldså & Jianquan Liu & Bernhard, 2023. "Diversification of flowering plants in space and time," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    10. Yunpeng Liu & Xiaoting Xu & Dimitar Dimitrov & Loic Pellissier & Michael K. Borregaard & Nawal Shrestha & Xiangyan Su & Ao Luo & Niklaus E. Zimmermann & Carsten Rahbek & Zhiheng Wang, 2023. "An updated floristic map of the world," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    11. Khushboo Gurung & Katie J. Field & Sarah A. Batterman & Simon W. Poulton & Benjamin J. W. Mills, 2024. "Geographic range of plants drives long-term climate change," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-7, December.
    12. Khushboo Gurung & Katie J. Field & Sarah A. Batterman & Yves Goddéris & Yannick Donnadieu & Philipp Porada & Lyla L. Taylor & Benjamin J. W. Mills, 2022. "Climate windows of opportunity for plant expansion during the Phanerozoic," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    13. Zhaowei Jing & Wusheng Yu & Stephen Lewis & Lonnie G. Thompson & Jie Xu & Jingyi Zhang & Baiqing Xu & Guangjian Wu & Yaoming Ma & Yong Wang & Rong Guo, 2022. "Inverse altitude effect disputes the theoretical foundation of stable isotope paleoaltimetry," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    14. Maria Wanic & Mariola Parzonka, 2023. "Assessing the Role of Crop Rotation in Shaping Foliage Characteristics and Leaf Gas Exchange Parameters for Winter Wheat," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-20, April.
    15. Lauren N. Wilson & Jacob D. Gardner & John P. Wilson & Alex Farnsworth & Zackary R. Perry & Patrick S. Druckenmiller & Gregory M. Erickson & Chris L. Organ, 2024. "Global latitudinal gradients and the evolution of body size in dinosaurs and mammals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    16. Yeonggeun Song & Sukwoo Kim & Haeun Koo & Hyeonhwa Kim & Kidae Kim & Jaeuk Lee & Sujin Jang & Kyeong Cheol Lee, 2023. "Assessing the Suitability of Sediment Soil to Be Reused by Different Soil Treatments for Forest Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-18, July.
    17. Sato, Hisashi & Itoh, Akihiko & Kohyama, Takashi, 2007. "SEIB–DGVM: A new Dynamic Global Vegetation Model using a spatially explicit individual-based approach," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 200(3), pages 279-307.
    18. Li, Haotian & Li, Lu & Liu, Na & Chen, Suying & Shao, Liwei & Sekiya, Nobuhito & Zhang, Xiying, 2022. "Root efficiency and water use regulation relating to rooting depth of winter wheat," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    19. Lindh, Magnus & Manzoni, Stefano, 2021. "Plant evolution along the ‘fast–slow’ growth economics spectrum under altered precipitation regimes," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 448(C).
    20. Mariana García Criado & Isla H. Myers-Smith & Anne D. Bjorkman & Signe Normand & Anne Blach-Overgaard & Haydn J. D. Thomas & Anu Eskelinen & Konsta Happonen & Juha M. Alatalo & Alba Anadon-Rosell & Is, 2023. "Plant traits poorly predict winner and loser shrub species in a warming tundra biome," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-17, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-31512-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.