Climbing mechanisms and the diversification of neotropical climbing plants across time and space

center dot Climbers germinate on the ground but need external support to sustain their stems, which are maintained attached to supports through modified organs, that is, climbing mechanisms. Specialized climbing mechanisms have been linked to higher diversification rates. Also, different mechanisms may have different support diameter restrictions, which might influence climbers' spatial distribution. center dot We test these assumptions by linking climbing mechanisms to the spatiotemporal diversification of neotropical climbers. A dataset of climbing mechanisms is presented for 9071 species. WCVP was used to standardize species names, map geographical distributions, and estimate diversification rates of lineages with different mechanisms. center dot Twiners appear concentrated in the Dry Diagonal of South America and climbers with adhesive roots in the Choco region and Central America. However, climbing mechanisms do not significantly influence the distribution of neotropical climbers. Also, we found no strong support for correlations between specialized climbing mechanisms and higher diversification rates. center dot Climbing mechanisms do not strongly impact the spatiotemporal diversification of neotropical climbers on a macroevolutionary scale. We argue that the climbing habit is a synnovation, meaning the spatiotemporal diversification it promotes is due to the sum effect of all the habit's traits rather than isolated traits, such as climbing mechanisms.

Automated summary

Climbers need external support for their stems, which are attached to supports through climbing mechanisms. However, different mechanisms do not significantly affect the distribution or diversification rates of neotropical climbers. The climbing habit itself promotes spatiotemporal diversification rather than specific traits such as climbing mechanisms.