The phylogenetic signal in tooth wear: What does it mean?

Larisa Desantis,Christine Janis,Mark Teaford,Gildas Merceron,Juha Saarinen,Mikael Fortelius,Ellen Schulz-Kornas,Frederick E Grine,Mark A Purnell,Thomas M Kaiser,Indrė Žliobaitė,Peter S Ungar

doi:10.1002/ece3.4541

Abstract

A new study by Fraser et al (2018) urges the use of phylogenetic comparative methods, whenever possible, in analyses of mammalian tooth wear. We are concerned about this for two reasons. First, this recommendation may mislead the research community into thinking that phylogenetic signal is an artifact of some sort rather than a fundamental outcome of the evolutionary process. Secondly, this recommendation may set a precedent for editors and reviewers to enforce phylogenetic adjustment where it may unnecessarily weaken or even directionally alter the results, shifting the emphasis of analysis from common patterns manifested by large clades to rare cases.

Highlights

Authors Larisa DeSantis, Mikael Fortelius, Frederick E Grine, Christine Janis, Thomas M Kaiser, Gildas Merceron, Mark A Purnell, Ellen Schulz-Kornas, Juha Saarinen, Mark F
We are concerned about this for two reasons. This recommendation may mislead the research community into thinking that phylogenetic signal is an artifact of some sort rather than a fundamental outcome of the evolutionary process
Fraser et al (2018) test for phylogenetic signals in diet and tooth wear of mammals and find that the dependence between diet and phylogeny is extremely strong. They find strong dependence between tooth wear proxies and phylogeny. What they fail to emphasize is that this makes complete sense: If a phylogenetic signal was present in diet but absent in dietary proxies, it would imply that proxies have nothing to do with diet

Summary

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Follow this and additional works at: https://touroscholar.touro.edu/tuccom_pubs Part of the Dentistry Commons, and the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons. Recommended Citation DeSantis, L., Fortelius, M., Grine, F. The phylogenetic signal in tooth wear: What does it mean? Authors Larisa DeSantis, Mikael Fortelius, Frederick E Grine, Christine Janis, Thomas M Kaiser, Gildas Merceron, Mark A Purnell, Ellen Schulz-Kornas, Juha Saarinen, Mark F. This article is available at Touro Scholar: https://touroscholar.touro.edu/tuccom_pubs/129

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Findings

Letter to the Editor