The diversity of life is ultimately generated by evolution, and much attention has focused on
the rapid evolution of ecological traits. Yet, the tendency for many ecological traits to instead …

Phylogenetic niche conservatism (PNC) typically refers to the tendency of closely related
species to be more similar to each other in terms of niche than they are to more distant …

Exploring the role of fire in each of the five Mediterranean-type climate ecosystems, this
book offers a unique view of the evolution of fire-adapted traits and the role of fire in shaping …

The relationship between rates of genomic evolution and organismal adaptation remains
uncertain, despite considerable interest. The feasibility of obtaining genome sequences from …

Abstract George Gaylord Simpson famously postulated that much of life's diversity originated
as adaptive radiations—more or less simultaneous divergences of numerous lines from a …

Multicellularity was one of the most significant innovations in the history of life, but its initial
evolution remains poorly understood. Using experimental evolution, we show that key steps …

The long-awaited revision of the industry standard on phylogenetics Since the publication of
the first edition of this landmark volume more than twenty-five years ago, phylogenetic …

Biologists have long been fascinated by the exceptionally high diversity displayed by some
evolutionary groups. Adaptive radiation in such clades is not only spectacular, but is also an …

One of the most important shifts in evolutionary biology in the past 50 years is an increased
recognition of sluggish evolution and failures to adapt, which seem paradoxical in view of …

Species' phenotypic characteristics often remain unchanged over long stretches of
geological time. Stabilizing selection—in which fitness is highest for intermediate …