Detecting Non-Brownian Trait Evolution in Adaptive Radiations

Robert P Freckleton and Paul H Harvey

PLOS Biology, 2006, vol. 4, issue 11, 1-8

Abstract: Many phylogenetic comparative methods that are currently widely used in the scientific literature assume a Brownian motion model for trait evolution, but the suitability of that model is rarely tested, and a number of important factors might affect whether this model is appropriate or not. For instance, we might expect evolutionary change in adaptive radiations to be driven by the availability of ecological niches. Such evolution has been shown to produce patterns of change that are different from those modelled by the Brownian process. We applied two tests for the assumption of Brownian motion that generally have high power to reject data generated under non-Brownian niche-filling models for the evolution of traits in adaptive radiations. As a case study, we used these tests to explore the evolution of feeding adaptations in two radiations of warblers. In one case, the patterns revealed do not accord with Brownian motion but show characteristics expected under certain niche-filling models. Two diagnostic tests reveal when traditional phylogenetic comparative methods relying on a Brownian motion model of trait evolution are not appropriate, and these can help identify underlying ecological mechanisms of adaptation.

Date: 2006
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.0040373 (text/html)
https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article/file ... 40373&type=printable (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pbio00:0040373

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0040373

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in PLOS Biology from Public Library of Science
Bibliographic data for series maintained by plosbiology ().