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Voje KL, Saulsbury JG, Starrfelt J, Latorre DV, Rojas A, Kinneberg VB, Liow LH, Wilson CJ, Saupe EE, Grabowski M. Measurement theory and paleobiology. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:1165-1176. [PMID: 37696719 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Measurement theory, a branch of applied mathematics, offers guiding principles for extracting meaning from empirical observations and is applicable to any science involving measurements. Measurement theory is highly relevant in paleobiology because statistical approaches assuming ratio-scaled variables are commonly used on data belonging to nominal and ordinal scale types. We provide an informal introduction to representational measurement theory and argue for its importance in robust scientific inquiry. Although measurement theory is widely applicable in paleobiology research, we use the study of disparity to illustrate measurement theoretical challenges in the quantitative study of the fossil record. Respecting the inherent properties of different measurements enables meaningful inferences about evolutionary and ecological processes from paleontological data.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Alexis Rojas
- Department of Computer Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | | | - Connor J Wilson
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Erin E Saupe
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mark Grabowski
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Paleoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
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2
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Voje KL. Fitting and evaluating univariate and multivariate models of within-lineage evolution. PALEOBIOLOGY 2023; 49:747-764. [PMID: 37859727 PMCID: PMC7615219 DOI: 10.1017/pab.2023.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
The nature of phenotypic evolution within lineages is central to many unresolved questions in paleontology and evolutionary biology. Analyses of evolutionary time-series of ancestor-descendant populations in the fossil record are likely to make important contributions to many of these debates. However, the limited number of models that have been applied to these types of data may restrict our ability to interpret phenotypic evolution in the fossil record. Using uni- and multivariate models of trait evolution that make different assumptions regarding the dynamics of the adaptive landscape, I evaluate contrasting hypotheses to explain evolution of size in the radiolarian Eucyrtidium calvertense and armor in the stickleback Gaserosteus doryssus. Body size evolution in E. calvertense is best explained by a model where the lineage evolves as a consequence of a shift in the adaptive landscape that coincides with the initiation of neosympatry with its sister lineage. Multivariate evolution of armor traits in a stickleback lineage (Gasterosteus doryssus) show evidence of adaptation towards independent optima on the adaptive landscape at the same time as traits change in a correlated fashion. The fitted models are available in a the R package evoTS, which builds on the commonly used paleoTS framework.
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Rolland J, Henao-Diaz LF, Doebeli M, Germain R, Harmon LJ, Knowles LL, Liow LH, Mank JE, Machac A, Otto SP, Pennell M, Salamin N, Silvestro D, Sugawara M, Uyeda J, Wagner CE, Schluter D. Conceptual and empirical bridges between micro- and macroevolution. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1181-1193. [PMID: 37429904 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02116-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Explaining broad molecular, phenotypic and species biodiversity patterns necessitates a unifying framework spanning multiple evolutionary scales. Here we argue that although substantial effort has been made to reconcile microevolution and macroevolution, much work remains to identify the links between biological processes at play. We highlight four major questions of evolutionary biology whose solutions require conceptual bridges between micro and macroevolution. We review potential avenues for future research to establish how mechanisms at one scale (drift, mutation, migration, selection) translate to processes at the other scale (speciation, extinction, biogeographic dispersal) and vice versa. We propose ways in which current comparative methods to infer molecular evolution, phenotypic evolution and species diversification could be improved to specifically address these questions. We conclude that researchers are in a better position than ever before to build a synthesis to understand how microevolutionary dynamics unfold over millions of years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Rolland
- CNRS, UMR5174, Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
| | - L Francisco Henao-Diaz
- Department of Zoology, and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Michael Doebeli
- Department of Zoology, and Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Rachel Germain
- Department of Zoology, and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Luke J Harmon
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - L Lacey Knowles
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Judith E Mank
- Department of Zoology, and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Antonin Machac
- Department of Zoology, and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology of the CAS, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Sarah P Otto
- Department of Zoology, and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Matt Pennell
- Departments of Quantitative and Computational Biology and Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nicolas Salamin
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Daniele Silvestro
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mauro Sugawara
- Department of Zoology, and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Mário Schenberg Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Josef Uyeda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Catherine E Wagner
- Department of Botany, and Program in Ecology and Evolution, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Dolph Schluter
- Department of Zoology, and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Baptista L, Berning B, Curto M, Waeschenbach A, Meimberg H, Santos AM, Ávila SP. Morphospecies and molecular diversity of ‘lace corals’: the genus Reteporella (Bryozoa: Cheilostomatida) in the central North Atlantic Azores Archipelago. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:128. [PMCID: PMC9635095 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02080-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background As in most bryozoans, taxonomy and systematics of species in the genus Reteporella Busk, 1884 (family Phidoloporidae) has hitherto almost exclusively been based on morphological characters. From the central North Atlantic Azores Archipelago, nine Reteporella species have historically been reported, none of which have as yet been revised. Aiming to characterise the diversity and biogeographic distribution of Azorean Reteporella species, phylogenetic reconstructions were conducted on a dataset of 103 Azorean Reteporella specimens, based on the markers cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1, small and large ribosomal RNA subunits. Morphological identification was based on scanning electron microscopy and complemented the molecular inferences. Results Our results reveal two genetically distinct Azorean Reteporella clades, paraphyletic to eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean taxa. Moreover, an overall concordance between morphological and molecular species can be shown, and the actual bryozoan diversity in the Azores is greater than previously acknowledged as the dataset comprises three historically reported species and four putative new taxa, all of which are likely to be endemic. The inclusion of Mediterranean Reteporella specimens also revealed new species in the Adriatic and Ligurian Sea, whilst the inclusion of additional phidoloporid taxa hints at the non-monophyly of the genus Reteporella. Conclusion Being the first detailed genetic study on the genus Reteporella, the high divergence levels inferred within the genus Reteporella and family Phidoloporidae calls for the need of further revision. Nevertheless, the overall concordance between morphospecies and COI data suggest the potential adequacy of a 3% cut-off to distinguish Reteporella species. The discovery of new species in the remote Azores Archipelago as well as in the well-studied Mediterranean Sea indicates a general underestimation of bryozoan diversity. This study constitutes yet another example of the importance of integrative taxonomical approaches on understudied taxa, contributing to cataloguing genetic and morphological diversity. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-022-02080-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Baptista
- grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, CIBIO, InBIO Laboratório Associado, 9501-801 Pólo dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal ,grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal ,grid.7338.f0000 0001 2096 9474MPB-Marine Palaeontology and Biogeography Lab, Universidade dos Açores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal ,grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 1021/1055, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal ,grid.5173.00000 0001 2298 5320University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, Institute for Integrative Nature Conservation Research, Vienna, Austria
| | - Björn Berning
- grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, CIBIO, InBIO Laboratório Associado, 9501-801 Pólo dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal ,grid.7338.f0000 0001 2096 9474MPB-Marine Palaeontology and Biogeography Lab, Universidade dos Açores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal ,Oberösterreichische Landes-Kultur GmbH, Geowissenschaftliche Sammlungen, 4060 Leonding, Austria
| | - Manuel Curto
- grid.5173.00000 0001 2298 5320University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, Institute for Integrative Nature Conservation Research, Vienna, Austria ,grid.9983.b0000 0001 2181 4263MARE, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Harald Meimberg
- grid.5173.00000 0001 2298 5320University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, Institute for Integrative Nature Conservation Research, Vienna, Austria
| | - António M. Santos
- grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 1021/1055, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal ,grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, CIBIO, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Sérgio P. Ávila
- grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, CIBIO, InBIO Laboratório Associado, 9501-801 Pólo dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal ,grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal ,grid.7338.f0000 0001 2096 9474MPB-Marine Palaeontology and Biogeography Lab, Universidade dos Açores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal ,grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 1021/1055, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal ,grid.7338.f0000 0001 2096 9474Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal
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Hansen TF, Bolstad GH, Tsuboi M. Analyzing Disparity and Rates of Morphological Evolution with Model-Based Phylogenetic Comparative Methods. Syst Biol 2021; 71:1054-1072. [PMID: 34865153 PMCID: PMC9366461 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syab079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding variation in rates of evolution and morphological disparity is a goal of macroevolutionary research. In a phylogenetic comparative methods framework, we present three explicit models for linking the rate of evolution of a trait to the state of another evolving trait. This allows testing hypotheses about causal influences on rates of phenotypic evolution with phylogenetic comparative data. We develop a statistical framework for fitting the models with generalized least-squares regression and use this to discuss issues and limitations in the study of rates of evolution more generally. We show that the power to detect effects on rates of evolution is low in that even strong causal effects are unlikely to explain more than a few percent of observed variance in disparity. We illustrate the models and issues by testing if rates of beak-shape evolution in birds are influenced by brain size, as may be predicted from a Baldwin effect in which presumptively more behaviorally flexible large-brained species generate more novel selection on themselves leading to higher rates of evolution. From an analysis of morphometric data for 645 species, we find evidence that both macro- and microevolution of the beak are faster in birds with larger brains, but with the caveat that there are no consistent effects of relative brain size.[Baldwin effect; beak shape; behavioral drive; bird; brain size; disparity; phylogenetic comparative method; rate of evolution.]
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas F Hansen
- Department of Biology, CEES & Evogene, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Geir H Bolstad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Masahito Tsuboi
- Department of Biology, CEES & Evogene, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Di Martino E, Liow LH. Trait-fitness associations do not predict within-species phenotypic evolution over 2 million years. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202047. [PMID: 33468005 PMCID: PMC7893266 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Long-term patterns of phenotypic change are the cumulative results of tens of thousands to millions of years of evolution. Yet, empirical and theoretical studies of phenotypic selection are largely based on contemporary populations. The challenges in studying phenotypic evolution, in particular trait-fitness associations in the deep past, are barriers to linking micro- and macroevolution. Here, we capitalize on the unique opportunity offered by a marine colonial organism commonly preserved in the fossil record to investigate trait-fitness associations over 2 Myr. We use the density of female polymorphs in colonies of Antartothoa tongima as a proxy for fecundity, a fitness component, and investigate multivariate signals of trait-fitness associations in six time intervals on the backdrop of Pleistocene climatic shifts. We detect negative trait-fitness associations for feeding polymorph (autozooid) sizes, positive associations for autozooid shape but no particular relationship between fecundity and brood chamber size. In addition, we demonstrate that long-term trait patterns are explained by palaeoclimate (as approximated by ∂18O), and to a lesser extent by ecological interactions (i.e. overgrowth competition and substrate crowding). Our analyses show that macroevolutionary outcomes of trait evolution are not a simple scaling-up from the trait-fitness associations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lee Hsiang Liow
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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