Biotic vs abiotic factors promoting the diversification of caenophidian snakes.

人们普遍认为，先进的蛇（Caenophidia）的进化多样化经历了一个主要的爆发在新近纪，但这种增加的多样化的原因仍然知之甚少。已经提出了几种因果假说，从捕食者-猎物共同进化的情景到新生代气候变化。在这里提出的项目中，我们希望使用包括化石和分子信息的综合方法来测试这些假设：a）我们将包括一个全面的新蛇化石数据集，我们将结合分子差异估计来计算新生代的物种形成和灭绝速率; B）使用同样的方法，我们将通过将我们的结果与哺乳动物、鸟类、两栖动物和有鳞目动物的多样化模式进行比较，来检验与猎物类群的相关性; c）使用先进的生物信息学方法，我们将测试新蛇的多样化是否是一个关键创新的结果; d）使用C4草作为代理，我们将比较新蛇的多样化率与新生代气候历史。这种全面的方法最终将使我们能够确定新蛇类令人印象深刻的进化成功的最可能原因。

It is widely believed that the evolutionary diversification of advanced snakes (Caenophidia) experienced a major burst in the Neogene, but the causes for this increase in diversification remain poorly understood. Several causal hypotheses have been suggested, ranging from predator-prey coevolutionary scenarios to Cenozoic climate change. In the here proposed project we wish to test these hypotheses using an integrative approach comprising both fossil and molecular information: a) We will comprise a comprehensive data set of fossil caenophidian snake occurrences, which we use in conjunction with molecular divergence estimates to calculate rates of speciation and extinction through the Cenozoic; b) using the same approach, we will test for correlations with prey taxa by comparing our results with diversification patterns in mammals, birds, amphibians, and squamates; c) using advanced bioinformatic approaches we will test if caenophidian snake diversification is the result of a key innovation; d) using C4 grasses as a proxy, we will compare Caenophidian diversification rates to Cenozoic climate history. This comprehensive approach will finally allow us to determine the most likely causes for the impressive evolutionary success of Caenophidian snakes.