Dissecting Liverwort Evolution: How Temperature Shapes Their Diversity

Have you ever wondered how liverworts, those tiny plants, became so diverse? Scientists have been looking into this. They found that when it comes to elevation and temperature, liverworts have a cool past and some hotspots for diversity. By tracking their evolution across mountains worldwide, they discovered that diversification rates rise with temperature, meaning less diversification at higher elevations. This is mostly because of epiphytic liverworts. On the other hand, the age of the genera peaks at mid-elevations, where their species richness is highest.

Ancestral liverworts loved cool, humid habitats. This means they've been adapting to these conditions over time. Today, these conditions are found at mid-elevations in mountains. Liverworts moved from these areas to both warmer and colder regions, but at different speeds. Those in warm areas diversified faster, while those in cold areas, slower. Liverworts' preference for temperate climates might make them struggle with rapid warming. However, low-elevation liverworts might be less affected by climate change.

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