Estimating through-time diversification rates in Serpentes (Lepidosauria, Squamata) from fossil occurrence data

Abstract

Serpentes is one of the most diverse groups of terrestrial vertebrates, with more than four thousand living species, significant morphological disparity and impressive ecological diversity. Despite this, the relationships between snakes and other squamates are still not consensual, with conflicting hypotheses diverging mainly in relation to the sister group to Serpentes. Additionally, the origin of the group is surrounded by discussions about the habitat occupied by the first snakes. Such debates highlight the central role of the group's fossil record to better comprehend its evolutionary history, making Serpentes an interesting model for characterizing macroevolutionary patterns. In this sense, the present project aims to extract the maximum information possible from the fossil record of the total-group Pan-Serpentes in order to investigate the group's diversification dynamics. Using data from fossil occurrences, rates of speciation, extinction and diversification will be estimated for the group's entire evolutionary history. The results from this unprecedented investigation will allow comparison with previous studies that focused on subgroups of Serpentes and used data from living species. Furthermore, the results will shed light on periods of greater and lesser diversification in Pan-Serpentes, allowing evaluation of possible biotic and abiotic factors associated with this variation. Therefore, this project represents an excellent opportunity to expand the knowledge on the evolution of a group of enormous scientific and popular interest, integrating paleontological data with an innovative methodology.