New distributional opportunities with niche innovation in Eurasian snowfinches

Abstract

This study explores the evolutionary history of ecological niche characters in the Eurasian snowfinch lineage. Specifically, we use new analytical approaches to reconstruct ecological niche evolution, taking uncertainty in knowledge of the ecological niche limits into account. We found an overall pattern of niche conservatism in relation to both temperature and precipitation characteristics of niches, but for one dramatic niche evolution event, in Montifringilla nivalis. Interestingly, this species is also that which has by far the broadest geographic distribution among snowfinches. We conclude that an evolutionary change in niche characteristics perhaps within M. nivalis (i.e., present in some and not all of its populations) made possible the broad, westward range expansion of that species, thus changing the distributional potential of the snowfinch lineage dramatically.