Biome evolution and biogeographical change through time

Abstract

Keystone plant groups can be used to infer the evolution of biomes and biogeographical change of communities and taxa. In this thesis I investigated whether lineages in Trachycarpeae palms could be used to track different forest types through time and whether change in biome or bio- geographic region had an effect on species diversification. These questions were approached using ge- netic data integrated with fossil record, species distribution, and speciation models. Although the three chapters of my thesis had additional foci outside of the main goal of inferring biogeographic change and diversification through time, they come together to paint a clear picture of how fine-scale and interdisci- plinary studies can lead to more robust hypothesis testing and conclusions. I found that outside of track- ing tropical forests through time, palms are useful for understanding island biogeography and the for- mation of other types of biomes.