RT Journal Article
T1 Macroevolutionary processes and biomic specialization: testing the resource-use hypothesis
A1 Hernández Fernández, Manuel
A1 Vrba, Elisabeth S.
AB The resource-use hypothesis predicts that generalist species have lower speciation and extinction rates than specialists. In this work we test several subsidiary predictions of the resource-use hypothesis using the biomic specialization index (BSI) for each African large mammal species, which is based on its geographical range within different climate zones. This index can be used globally allowing intercontinental and intertaxa comparisons. Our results are consistent with the axioms of the resource-use hypothesis theory, which predicts (1) a high frequency of stenobiomic species, (2) carnivores are more eurybiomic than herbivore clades (particularly, Artiodactyla and Primates), (3) the higher incidence of these biomic specialists in the tropical rainforest and desert biomes, and (4) the fact that certain combinations of inhabited biomes occur more frequently among species than do others. We also found that the tropical deciduous woodland is an important source of new species, and that there is a macroevolutionary segregation between extreme eurybiomic species (inhabitants of five or more biomes) and ‘semi-eurybiomic’ species (inhabitants of 2–5 biomes). These results can also be explained within the premises of the resource-use hypothesis. Finally, we discuss the relevance of our results to the understanding of the latitudinal gradient in species richness.
PB Springer
SN 0269-7653
YR 2005
FD 2005-05
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/122069
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/122069
LA eng
NO Fernández, M.H. y Vrba, E.S. (2005) «Macroevolutionary processes and biomic specialization: Testing the resource-use hypothesis», Evolutionary Ecology, 19(3), pp. 199-219. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1007/S10682-004-8152-7.
NO Received 3 June 2004; Accepted 21 December 2004© Springer 2005.Manuel Hernández Fernández: fax: +34-91-5644740; e-mail: hdezfdez@geo.ucm.es
NO Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología (España)
NO Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (España)
DS Docta Complutense
RD 24 dic 2025