Island vertebrates have evolved a number of morphological, physiological, and life history characteristics that set them apart from their mainland relatives. However, to date, the evolution of metabolism and its impact on the vulnerability to extinction of insular vertebrates remains poorly understood. This study used metabolic data from 2813 species of tetrapod vertebrates, including 695 ectothermic and 2118 endothermic species, to reveal that island mammals and birds evolved convergent metabolic strategies toward a slow pace of life. Insularity was associated with shifts toward slower metabolic rates and greater generation lengths in endotherms, while insularity just drove the evolution of longer generation lengths in ectotherms. Notably, a slow pace of life has exacerbated the extinction of insular endemic species in the face of anthropogenic threats. These findings have important implications for understanding physiological adaptations associated with the island syndrome and formulating conservation strategies across taxonomic groups with different metabolic modes.

中文翻译：

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向缓慢生活节奏的趋同进化使岛屿恒温动物容易遭受人为灭绝


岛屿脊椎动物已经进化出许多形态、生理和生活史特征，使它们有别于大陆脊椎动物。然而，迄今为止，我们对新陈代谢的进化及其对岛屿脊椎动物灭绝脆弱性的影响仍然知之甚少。这项研究使用了 2813 种四足脊椎动物（包括 695 种变温动物和 2118 种吸温动物）的代谢数据，揭示了岛屿哺乳动物和鸟类朝着缓慢生活节奏进化出趋同的代谢策略。岛状性与吸温动物向更慢的代谢率和更长世代长度的转变有关，而岛状性只是推动了变温动物更长世代长度的进化。值得注意的是，面对人为威胁，缓慢的生活节奏加剧了岛屿特有物种的灭绝。这些发现对于理解与岛屿综合症相关的生理适应以及制定具有不同代谢模式的分类群体的保护策略具有重要意义。