Abstract
Statistical analyses indicate that the Phanerozoic history of vascular land plants (tracheophytes) may be interpreted in terms of the successive radiations of four major plant groups, each characterized by a common morphological and/or reproductive grade. Following initial invasion of the land, the diversification of each group coincides with a decline in species numbers of the previously dominant group. Analyses indicate that each group is initially characterized by a high rate of appearance of new species but short species durations. However, within a group through time, new species appear less frequently but species durations increase. Parallels between the diversification patterns observed for tracheophytes and those previously noted for marine invertebrates1 suggest there are generalized patterns in the evolution of higher taxa.
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Niklas, K., Tiffney, B. & Knoll, A. Patterns in vascular land plant diversification. Nature 303, 614–616 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/303614a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/303614a0
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