Data from: The evolutionary legacy of diversification predicts ecosystem function

Theory suggests that the structure of evolutionary history represented in a species community may affect its functioning, but phylogenetic diversity metrics do not allow for the identification of major differences in this structure. Here we propose a new metric, ELDERness (for Evolutionary Legacy of DivERsity) to estimate evolutionary branching patterns within communities by fitting a polynomial function to lineage-through-time (LTT) plots. We illustrate how real and simulated community branching patterns can be more correctly described by ELDERness and can successfully predict ecosystem functioning. In particular, the evolutionary history of branching patterns can be encapsulated by the parameters of third-order polynomial functions and further measured through only two parameters, the “ELDERness surfaces.” These parameters captured variation in productivity of a grassland community better than existing phylogenetic diversity or diversification metrics and independent of species richness or presence of nitrogen fixers. Specifically, communities with small ELDERness surfaces (constant accumulation of lineages through time in LTT plots) were more productive, consistent with increased productivity resulting from complementary lineages combined with niche filling within lineages. Overall, while existing phylogenetic diversity metrics remain useful in many contexts, we suggest that our ELDERness approach better enables testing hypotheses that relate complex patterns of macroevolutionary history represented in local communities to ecosystem functioning.,Simulated phylogenies and lineage through time plot Yguel et al 2016 AmNatThe Rdata files are simulated phylogenies and lineage through time plot of these simulated phylogenies, used in Yguel et al. 2016 AmNat. The code to extract the LTT plot from the phylogenies is given in the Appendices of the article as well as the method used to make these simulations.The name of the Rdata file indicates which simulation the file is refering to. The Excel files contain measures of phylogenetic structure of these simulated phylogenies (Measure phylogenetic structure parameters on simulated phylogenies.xlsx) and phylogenies of the experimental communities used in the article (Measure phylogenetic structure parameters on Cadotte Zanne phylog.xlsx). The code to calculate a1, a2, a3, and to measure S1 and S2 are given in the method of the article. In all excel files, a1 a2 a3 are the polynomial parameters fitted on the LTT plots. S1 and S2 are respectively ES1 and ES2, the "elderness surface" presented in the article. MPD, MNTD, gamma, and Colless are the common phylogenetic structure measurement (see also method), and invNRI and invNTI the standardized version of MPD and MNTD. RichSpe or Sps correspond to the species richness. PlotID corresponds to the identification of the plot. Mean19962007 corresponds to the mean productivity from 1996 to 2007.Data used in Yguel et al 2016 AmNat.rar,