Paper: Detecting Non-Brownian Trait Evolution in Adaptive Radiations

Detecting Non-Brownian Trait Evolution in Adaptive Radiations
Robert P. Freckleton, Paul H. Harvey

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.

Source: PLoS Biology (Open Access)
http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0040373

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Robert Karl Stonjek


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