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Dryad

Data from: Diversification dynamics of vegetation during the Cenozoic in the Neotropics: A palynological perspective from Colombia

Data files

Dec 04, 2024 version files 2.34 MB

Abstract

The Neotropics maintains the highest biodiversity of the planet, exerts control in global climate and play an important role in the dynamics of our planet. Researches from a wide range of disciplines are very interested in understanding how diversity in the Neotropics was produced and how it is maintained through deep time. Despite important advances in our understanding of the origin and diversification of Neotropical biota, we still do not have a clear idea about the patterns of diversification through geological time. This presents a significant knowledge-gap that needs to be filled. Fossils are necessary to understand the history of the Neotropical biota. From the perspective of plants, palynology represents the best proxy to study the macroevolution of vegetation. Pollen and spores fossilize readily, they are produced in large amounts, are found in a widely variety of sedimentary environments and they have high stratigraphic resolution. In this work, we used a compilation of palynological information from Colombia to explore patterns of plant diversification during the Cenozoic and their possible drivers. Changes in global temperature had an important influence on the dynamics of diversification, especially during volatile climate intervals. Paleogeographic changes and regional geological events also had an important role in modelling diversity. Origination and Extinction are balanced on long time scale with pulses of extinction followed by rapid floral replacement on a time scale of 1 Ma. The macroevolutionary history of Neotropical vegetation is a complex puzzle that requires the integration of data from multiple areas of research in biology and earth-physical sciences. The purpose of our work is to provide a small piece of evidence that helps to reconstruct this interesting puzzle.