Mammal diversification before and after KPg extinction

["bh480@scn.org" <bh480@scn.org>]

From: Ben Creisler
bh480@scn.org

A new advance online paper:

Robert W. Meredith, Jan E. Janecka, John Gatesy, Oliver A. Ryder, Colleen
A. Fisher, Emma C. Teeling, Alisha Goodbla, Eduardo Eizirik, Taiz L. L.
Simão, Tanja Stadler, Daniel L. Rabosky, Rodney L. Honeycutt, John J.
Flynn, Colleen M. Ingram, Cynthia Steiner, Tiffani L. Williams, Terence J.
Robinson, Angela Burk-Herrick, Michael Westerman, Nadia A. Ayoub, Mark S.
Springer, and William J. Murphy (2011)
Impacts of the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution and KPg Extinction on
Mammal Diversification.
Science (Express - advance online publication)
DOI: 10.1126/science.1211028 
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2011/09/21/science.1211028.abstract

Abstract
Previous analyses of relations, divergence times, and diversification
patterns among extant mammalian families have relied on supertree methods
and local molecular clocks. We constructed a molecular supermatrix for
mammalian families and analyzed these data with likelihood-based methods
and relaxed molecular clocks. Phylogenetic analyses resulted in a robust
phylogeny with better resolution than phylogenies from supertree methods.
Relaxed clock analyses support the long-fuse model of diversification and
highlight the importance of including multiple fossil calibrations that are
spread across the tree. Molecular timetrees and diversification analyses
suggest important roles for the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution and
Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction in opening up ecospace that promoted
interordinal and intraordinal diversification, respectively. By contrast,
diversification analyses provide no support for the Eocene delayed rise of
present-day mammals hypothesis. 

For a news story about the research:
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-09-evolutionary-tree-life-robust-molecular.
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