Patterns of diversification and geographic distribution of Canidae over time

Few biological groups have a well-documented fossil history, detailed trait datasets, reliable distribution maps, and are distributed on a global scale. The Canidae family is one of them, which allows us to tackle several topics related to evolutionary processes and species’ relationship with their environment. Here, I bring a broader view on distinct spatial patterns of Canidae, elucidating many points that are not yet very well understood about this group. By assembling distinct datasets (e.g., phylogenetic trees, paleontological data, species distribution maps, and environmental variables) together with several methods to extract information from these data, I demonstrate which were the main continental dispersal events over the last 13 million years in Canidae, and how these events shaped the diversification patterns of this clade leading to explosive diversification right after the colonization of new areas. I also show that environmental factors are more important than species interactions to explain how Canidae assemblages are structured spatially at the present. Moreover, I demonstrate the drastic climatic scenario for the majority of canids around the world during the next 54 years. In this thesis, I also test if diversification rates of canids are associated with distinct areas around the planet. The results show that when fossils species are incorporated in the analyses distinct diversification patterns are not related to geographic areas.