Evol Ecol Res 7: 567-579 (2005)     Full PDF if your library subscribes.

Endless tests: guidelines for analysing non-nested sister-group comparisons

Steven M. Vamosi* and Jana C. Vamosi

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada

Author to whom all correspondence should be addressed.
e-mail: smvamosi@ucalgary.ca

ABSTRACT

Question: How can we best use phylogenies and sister-group comparisons to understand the impact of ecological and life-history traits on diversification rates?

Analysis: Brief review of the basic structure of sister-group comparisons. Description of the sign, Slowinski-Guyer and species-diversity contrast tests. Elucidation of the potential shortcomings of these tests.

Conclusions: The Slowinski-Guyer test has statistical flaws and should no longer be used to analyse hypotheses about the effects of traits on diversification rates. Species-diversity contrast tests are the most conservative, yet powerful, methods for analysing sister-group comparisons.

Keywords: diversification, key innovation, sister-group comparison, Slowinski-Guyer test.

DOWNLOAD A FREE, FULL PDF COPY
IF you are connected using the IP of a subscribing institution (library, laboratory, etc.)
or through its VPN.

 

        © 2005 Steven M. Vamosi. All EER articles are copyrighted by their authors. All authors endorse, permit and license Evolutionary Ecology Ltd. to grant its subscribing institutions/libraries the copying privileges specified below without additional consideration or payment to them or to Evolutionary Ecology, Ltd. These endorsements, in writing, are on file in the office of Evolutionary Ecology, Ltd. Consult authors for permission to use any portion of their work in derivative works, compilations or to distribute their work in any commercial manner.

       Subscribing institutions/libraries may grant individuals the privilege of making a single copy of an EER article for non-commercial educational or non-commercial research purposes. Subscribing institutions/libraries may also use articles for non-commercial educational purposes by making any number of copies for course packs or course reserve collections. Subscribing institutions/libraries may also loan single copies of articles to non-commercial libraries for educational purposes.

       All copies of abstracts and articles must preserve their copyright notice without modification.