A comparison of the effects of random and selective mass extinctions on erosion of evolutionary history in communities of digital organisms.
The effect of mass extinctions on phylogenetic diversity and branching history of clades remains poorly understood in paleobiology. We examined the phylogenies of communities of digital organisms undergoing open-ended evolution as we subjected them to instantaneous "pulse" extinctions, cho...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2012-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3365035?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1811260301232832512 |
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| author | Gabriel Yedid Jason Stredwick Charles A Ofria Paul-Michael Agapow |
| author_facet | Gabriel Yedid Jason Stredwick Charles A Ofria Paul-Michael Agapow |
| author_sort | Gabriel Yedid |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The effect of mass extinctions on phylogenetic diversity and branching history of clades remains poorly understood in paleobiology. We examined the phylogenies of communities of digital organisms undergoing open-ended evolution as we subjected them to instantaneous "pulse" extinctions, choosing survivors at random, and to prolonged "press" extinctions involving a period of low resource availability. We measured age of the phylogenetic root and tree stemminess, and evaluated how branching history of the phylogenetic trees was affected by the extinction treatments. We found that strong random (pulse) and strong selective extinction (press) both left clear long-term signatures in root age distribution and tree stemminess, and eroded deep branching history to a greater degree than did weak extinction and control treatments. The widely-used Pybus-Harvey gamma statistic showed a clear short-term response to extinction and recovery, but differences between treatments diminished over time and did not show a long-term signature. The characteristics of post-extinction phylogenies were often affected as much by the recovery interval as by the extinction episode itself. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:44:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8639fc96f6e340cd8456f0f63bd585c9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:44:23Z |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-8639fc96f6e340cd8456f0f63bd585c92022-12-22T03:20:39ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032012-01-0175e3723310.1371/journal.pone.0037233A comparison of the effects of random and selective mass extinctions on erosion of evolutionary history in communities of digital organisms.Gabriel YedidJason StredwickCharles A OfriaPaul-Michael AgapowThe effect of mass extinctions on phylogenetic diversity and branching history of clades remains poorly understood in paleobiology. We examined the phylogenies of communities of digital organisms undergoing open-ended evolution as we subjected them to instantaneous "pulse" extinctions, choosing survivors at random, and to prolonged "press" extinctions involving a period of low resource availability. We measured age of the phylogenetic root and tree stemminess, and evaluated how branching history of the phylogenetic trees was affected by the extinction treatments. We found that strong random (pulse) and strong selective extinction (press) both left clear long-term signatures in root age distribution and tree stemminess, and eroded deep branching history to a greater degree than did weak extinction and control treatments. The widely-used Pybus-Harvey gamma statistic showed a clear short-term response to extinction and recovery, but differences between treatments diminished over time and did not show a long-term signature. The characteristics of post-extinction phylogenies were often affected as much by the recovery interval as by the extinction episode itself.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3365035?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Gabriel Yedid Jason Stredwick Charles A Ofria Paul-Michael Agapow A comparison of the effects of random and selective mass extinctions on erosion of evolutionary history in communities of digital organisms. PLoS ONE |
| title | A comparison of the effects of random and selective mass extinctions on erosion of evolutionary history in communities of digital organisms. |
| title_full | A comparison of the effects of random and selective mass extinctions on erosion of evolutionary history in communities of digital organisms. |
| title_fullStr | A comparison of the effects of random and selective mass extinctions on erosion of evolutionary history in communities of digital organisms. |
| title_full_unstemmed | A comparison of the effects of random and selective mass extinctions on erosion of evolutionary history in communities of digital organisms. |
| title_short | A comparison of the effects of random and selective mass extinctions on erosion of evolutionary history in communities of digital organisms. |
| title_sort | comparison of the effects of random and selective mass extinctions on erosion of evolutionary history in communities of digital organisms |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3365035?pdf=render |
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