14: What have we learned from the trees?
Comparative methods occupy a central place in evolutionary biology. This is because phylogenies provide an accounting of the historical patterns of evolution and, in turn, give us a natural way to measure long-term evolutionary dynamics. The first phase of comparative methods was focused strongly on adaptation. As discussed in this book, we have now branched out into a wide number of new areas, including diversification, community ecology, quantitative genetics, and more. This expansion has involved new statistical approaches that increase the flexibility of comparative methods and their connection to biological processes. I expect this trend to continue, fueled by the creativity and energy of the next crop of young scientists.
-
- 14.1: The Lorax
- Comparative methods have been rushing forward at breakneck speed to “speak for the trees” for more than 20 years now. At the same time, we have gained more information about the shape of the tree of life than any time in the history of the planet. So, what have we learned so far? And what can we learn moving forward? Perhaps most importantly, how can we overcome the perceived and actual limits of comparative approaches, and enable new breakthroughs in our understanding of evolutionary biology?
-
- 14.2: What We Have Learned so Far
- The great success of comparative methods has been, I think, in testing hypotheses about adaptation. A variety of methods can be applied to test for evolutionary relationships between form and the environment – and, increasingly, organismal function. These methods applied to real data have shed great light onto the myriad ways that species can adapt. This has been a great boon to organismal biology, and comparative methods are now routinely used to analyze and test hypotheses of adaptation.
-
- 14.3: Where Can we go Next?
- Comparative methods have proven to be an essential tool in identifying and describing adaptations. However, the scope of comparative methods has broadened, and now seeks to address long-standing theories of macroevolution. It is in this area that I think comparative methods has promise, but awaits new developments and ideas to really make progress towards the future.