Phylogeny can make the mid-domain effect an inappropriate null model.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Davies TJ
PROVIDER: S-EPMC1626208 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Phylogeny can make the mid-domain effect an inappropriate null model.
Davies T Jonathan TJ Grenyer Richard R Gittleman John L JL
Biology letters 20050601 2
The mid-domain effect (MDE), a bias in species richness towards the midpoint of a given geographical dimension, has been used as a null model in macro-ecological studies. Departures from a MDE are often thought of as interesting. The MDE is a product of the interaction between geometric boundaries and range locations, with species being forced to occupy more central positions in proportion to their range size. We criticize this mechanism for assuming species' locations to be wholly independent f ...[more]
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