Niche evolution versus niche conservatism and habitat loss determine persistence and extirpation in late Neogene European Fagaceae

An increasing body of palaeobotanical data demonstrates a series Pliocene and Pleistocene extirpations extinctions plant lineages in western Eurasia, which are believed to have been determined by the climatic properties their related East Asian North American sister lineages. We investigated diversity widespread northern hemispheric family, Fagaceae, during Late Portugal. found high Fagaceae comprising extant extinct Dispersed pollen Castanopsis Quercus sect. Cyclobalanopsis represent youngest records these Himalayan-Southeast groups Eurasia. Likewise, fossil-species Lobatae clade modern New World For Trigonobalanopsis, record Portugal is known this genus. Climate representatives demonstrate that deterministic model can explain only part extirpations. Modern cold month mean temperatures last occurrences Eurasia fit with (niche conservatism). In contrast, survival or extirpation tolerance appear more complex. Here, niche evolution, abundance lineage pre-Pleistocene times, habitat availability/loss fate