Fig 3. Schematic summary of the results.

The y-axis shows the normalized ecological difference between coexisting species as inferred from Euclidean distances, whereas the dashed lines indicate the theoretical minimal and maximal Euclidean distances. Normalized Euclidean distances were calculated as (actual—theoretical minimal Euclidean distance) / (theoretical maximum—theoretical minimal Euclidean distance). Theoretical Euclidean distances were calculated based on regional species pools and can be exceeded in ancestral species pairs. The x axis represents ancestral (open symbols) and extant (solid symbols) species pair. Arrows are oriented from ancestral to extant species pairs for each studied trait. Frasassi species are labeled with diamonds, Movile species with circles. Differences between ancestral species pairs were calculated using the mean, upper and lower estimates for a given trait. Note that the direction of evolutionary change in all but one case indicates competition-driven divergent evolution.