Phylogenetically Clustered Extinction Risks and the Tree of Life
Author Information
Author(s): Rakesh K. Parhar, Arne Ø. Mooers
Primary Institution: Simon Fraser University
Hypothesis
Are phylogenetically clustered extinction risks necessary and sufficient for the loss of phylogenetic diversity?
Conclusion
Phylogenetically clustered extinction risks alone do not substantially increase the loss of phylogenetic diversity compared to random extinction.
Supporting Evidence
- Phylogenetically clustered extinction risks are necessary but not sufficient for the loss of phylogenetic diversity.
- Maximum loss of phylogenetic diversity was only observed under extreme conditions of phylogenetic signal and extinction probabilities.
- Tree size and balance do not significantly affect the additional loss of phylogenetic diversity.
Takeaway
The study looks at how extinction risks that are related to species' evolutionary history affect the overall diversity of life. It finds that just having these risks isn't enough to cause a big loss in diversity.
Methodology
The researchers simulated Yule trees and extinction risks at various levels of heritability to assess the impact on phylogenetic diversity.
Potential Biases
Potential biases in tree inference and evolutionary models may affect results.
Limitations
The model does not fully capture the exact shape of the current distribution of extinction risks.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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