Data from: Adaptive processes drive ecomorphological convergent evolution in antwrens (Thamnophilidae)

Phylogenetic niche conservatism and convergence are contrasting evolutionary patterns that describe phenotypic similarity across independent lineages. Assessing whether and how adaptive processes give origin to these patterns represent a fundamental step toward understanding phenotypic evolution. Phylogenetic model-based approaches offer the opportunity not only to distinguish between phylogenetic niche conservatism and convergence, but also to determine the extent that adaptive processes explain phenotypic similarity. The Myrmotherula complex in the Neotropical family Thamnophilidae is a polyphyletic group of sexually dimorphic small insectivorous forest birds that are relatively homogeneous in size and shape. Here, we integrate a comprehensive species-level molecular phylogeny of the Myrmotherula complex with morphometric and ecological data within a comparative framework to test whether phenotypic similarity is described by a pattern of phylogenetic niche conservatism or convergence, and to identify evolutionary mechanisms underlying body size and shape evolution. We show that antwrens in the Myrmotherula complex represent distantly related clades that exhibit adaptive convergent evolution in body size and divergent evolution in body shape. Phenotypic similarity in the group is primarily driven by their tendency to converge toward smaller body sizes. Differences in body size and shape across lineages are associated to ecological and behavioral factors.Morphometric data of a subset of the ThamnophilidaeTab-delimited file containing morphometric data for 362 thamnophilid specimens. Description of measured characters is included in the main text.Morphological_Data.txtRelative time-calibrated phylogeny of a subset of the ThamnophilidaeUltrametric phylogeny estimated by Beast v. 1.6.1 (see main text for details) of a subset of the Thamnophilidae, with special focus on the Myrmotherula complex and their close relatives. Phylogeny is given in Newick format and includes only one sample per species.Myrmotherula_Ultrametric.treBayesian phylogeny of a subset of the Thamnohilidae50 % majority-rule Bayesian phylogeny in Newick format of a subset of the Thamnophilidae produced by MrBayes v. 3.1.2 (Figure S.1). Phylogeny contains all individuals sampled per species.Myrmotherula_MrBayes.con.tr