Comparisons of divergence among 58 lineages of Middle American birds reveal that diet is the most important driver, with insectivore and mixed-diet populations diverging more than plant-dependent species (mostly fugivores and nectivores). We propose and test a model for why this occurs and find support for dispersal and demographic expansion periodically reuniting plant-dependent species across this geographic space. Thus, local ecological and demographic factors here scale up to macroevolutionary phenomena.

Miller, M. J., E. Bermingham, B. L. Turner, S. E. Lipshutz, J. C. Touchon, A. B. Johnson, and K. Winker. 2021. Demographic consequences of foraging ecology explain genetic diversification in Neotropical bird species. Ecology Letters In press. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13674