Extinctions have been important in the shaping of modern phytogeographic patterns. A
classic example is the heavy Plio‐Pleistocene losses that have caused Europe to have a
depauperate temperate tree flora compared to eastern North America and eastern Asia. To
investigate the mechanisms involved in this extinction event, I test the hypothesis that the
present European status (extinct, relictual, or widespread) of cool‐temperate tree genera
found in Pliocene Europe is predictable from their modern climatic requirements. As a …