Abstract

Evolution is best viewed as a multivariate process making a working knowledge of linear algebra a great aide in our understanding of this process (Lande & Arnold, 1983; Manley, 1985; Endler, 1986; Phillips & Arnold, 1989). We therefore are in general agreement with the main thrust of Blows’ (2007) argument – a fuller appreciation of multivariate methods, particularly those that employ the diagonalization of the G and c matrices, can aid our understanding of microevolutionary change. Nevertheless, the approach advocated by Blows (2007) is not a panacea that solves all problems in multivariate evolutionary analyses, and there are circumstances where the diagonalization of the G and c matrices is either inappropriate or inferior to alternatives. In our opinion, the utility of matrix diagonalization is largely determined by the particular question of interest and the biology of the system examined. In support of our arguments, we discuss how matrix diagonalization can obscure the biological interpretation of a complex data set. We then discuss how the benefits of matrix diagonalization in evolutionary studies vary with the specific question addressed.

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