Which factors are described as more critical architects of wrasse diversity than localized ecological niches for the Fairy Wrasse lineage?

Tectonic or climatic shifts

The evolutionary trajectory for the Fairy Wrasse group appears strongly dictated by large-scale geophysical phenomena rather than fine-scale ecological interactions within a continuous area. The text emphasizes that habitat fragmentation, which is directly dictated by global ice volume and the resulting massive sea-level changes, serves as the primary engine for generating new species. This implies that large-scale tectonic or climatic shifts—which physically restructure the environment by submerging or exposing vast reef systems—are the more critical architects shaping the diversity seen in this lineage, contrasting with other fish groups where speciation might be driven more by niche partitioning within a stable habitat.