Cardillo, Marcel2015-12-101471-2970http://hdl.handle.net/1885/63147Phylogenetic community ecology seeks to explain the processes involved in the formation of species assemblages by analysing their phylogenetic structure, and to date has focused primarily on local-scale communities. Macroecology, on the other hand, is concerned with the structure of assemblages at large geographical scales, but has remained largely non-phylogenetic. Analysing the phylogenetic structure of large-scale assemblages provides a link between these two research programmes. In this paper, I ask whether we should expect large-scale assemblages to show significant phylogenetic structure, by outlining some of the ecological and macroevolutionary processes that may play a role in assemblage formation. As a case study, I then explore the phylogenetic structure of carnivore assemblages within the terrestrial ecoregions of Africa. Many assemblages at these scales are indeed phylogenetically non-random either clustered or overdispersed. One interpretation of the observed patterns of phylogenetic structure is that many clades underwent rapid biome-filling radiations, followed by diversification slowdown and competitive sorting as niche space became saturated.Keywords: assembly rule; biome; carnivore; community ecology; ecological modeling; ecoregion; geographical distribution; macroecology; mammal; niche; numerical model; phylogenetics; phylogeny; research program; speciation (biology); zoogeography; animal; article; b Assembly rules; Diversification; Extinction; Macroevolution; Null models; Speciation201110.1098/rstb.2011.00212016-02-24