Evolution and Paleontology Studies

Improving the Robustness of Phylogenetic Independent Contrasts: Addressing Abrupt Evolutionary Shifts with Outlier- and Distribution-Guided Correlation

This paper introduces O(D)GC, a method to improve phylogenetic correlation analysis by detecting and handling abrupt evolutionary shifts, showing lower error rates than existing methods.

Postnatal Development of the Gray Short Tailed Opossum (Monodelphis domestica): Implications for Metatherian Decline at the K/Pg Boundary

This study examines the postnatal development of the pouchless gray short-tailed opossum, revealing insights into the evolutionary life history strategies of marsupials and their survival during the K/Pg extinction.

Contingency Inverts Mammalian Herbivore Evolution in Australia

This study shows that kangaroos developed thickened enamel instead of high-crowned teeth in response to grazing, challenging the idea that herbivore evolution is predictable.

Abiotic Factors and Competitive Exclusion Drive Assembly Patterns in Two Insular Gecko Adaptive Radiations Displaying Ecomorphological Convergence

This study examines two gecko lineages to determine if abiotic factors or competition drive speciation, finding that abiotic factors and competitive exclusion shape phenotypic divergence and convergence.

Automatic Discovery of Optimal Discrete Character Models

This paper introduces a method for automatically selecting optimal discrete character models using regularization and simulated annealing, showing improved statistical performance and biological realism.

The small Canidae from Cuvieri Cave (Quaternary, Pleistocene), Lagoa Santa, eastern Brazil

This study identifies two subadult Speothos canid remains from Pleistocene deposits in Cuvieri Cave, Lagoa Santa, Brazil, representing the first record of this genus in the cave's fossil record.

A covarion model for phylogenetic estimation using discrete morphological datasets

This paper introduces the covariomorph model, an extension of the covarion model for morphological phylogenetics, showing it improves accuracy by accounting for lineage- and character-specific rate variation in 50% of empirical datasets.

Inference of Cichlid Speciation Patterns is Dependent on Spatial Covariance and Species Delimitation

The paper investigates how species delimitation and spatial non-independence affect inferred speciation patterns in cichlid fishes, finding that accounting for these factors alters speciation dynamics and trait associations.

Latitudinal dependence of stability trends in marine plankton in the Cenozoic

This study examines how marine plankton stability and spatial heterogeneity changed over the Cenozoic, finding latitude-dependent trends with equatorial stabilization and polar destabilization.

A time-calibrated phylogeny of hummingbirds supports stepwise diversification in the Andes

This study reconstructs a time-calibrated hummingbird phylogeny, finding stepwise diversification in the Andes rather than a monophyletic Andean clade.

Integrating fossils samples with heterogeneous diversification rates: a combined Multi-Type Fossilized Birth-Death model

This paper introduces a multi-type fossilized birth-death model to jointly infer phylogenies and diversification rates with fossils and extant species, showing improved accuracy when morphological data are available.

Birds that don't exist: niche pre-emption as a constraint on morphological evolution in the Passeroidea

The paper identifies a morphological gap in songbirds that suggests competitive exclusion limited evolutionary opportunities in the Passeroidea.

High Competition and Selective Extinction: How Biotic and Abiotic Drivers Shaped Speciation and Extinction Regimes in Carnivora

This study quantifies how competition and temperature shaped speciation and extinction in Carnivora over 45 million years, showing competition's dual role and temperature's impact on extinction.

The locomotor behavior of subfossil Malagasy sloth-lemurs (Strepsirrhini: Palaeopropithecidae) and koala-lemurs (Strepsirrhini: Megaladapidae): new insights from limb trabecular bone

Low femoral trabecular anisotropy and bone volume fraction mark suspensory/bridging mammals, and a phylogenetic discriminant model classifies extinct Palaeopropithecus ingens and Megaladapis edwarsi as suspensory.

Identifying Evolutionary Relatedness Effects on Diversification from Phylogenies using Neural Networks

This paper evaluates how neural networks can infer diversification mechanisms from phylogenies under evolutionary relatedness dependence, finding moderate classification accuracy and parameter identifiability issues.

Examples of adaptive peak tracking as found in the fossil record

The paper analyzes fossil data to show that adaptive peak tracking models outperform other models in explaining trait changes over time.

Pseudogenes document protracted parallel regression of oral anatomy in myrmecophagous mammals

The paper investigates molecular changes in myrmecophagous mammals, finding pseudogenization of genes related to dentition, gustation, and mastication across convergent lineages.

Understanding the biogeographic processes behind the accumulation of modern-day marine biodiversity.

The paper investigates biogeographic processes driving marine biodiversity accumulation by analyzing ancestral range reconstructions across four marine taxa.

Historical shifts, geographic biases, and biological constraints shape mammal species discovery

The paper analyzes trends in mammal species descriptions from 1990-2025, finding increased rigor but persistent geographic and biological disparities in comprehensiveness.

Ecological inference from isolated vertebrae: Evaluating functional signal across the carnivoran spine

This study evaluates whether isolated vertebrae can predict ecological traits like running speed and hunting mode in extinct carnivorans, finding that some vertebrae retain strong signals while combinations may dilute them.

Long-fuse evolution of carnivoran skeletal phenomes through the Cenozoic

This study uses a comprehensive fossil dataset to show that Cenozoic climate changes influenced skeletal diversification in carnivorans, with major transitions occurring during key climatic events.

Diversification dynamics of the Palaeozoic actinopterygian radiation

Birth-death-sampling models of Palaeozoic ray-finned fish occurrences detect no origination increase after the Hangenberg event; cryptic Late Devonian diversification and survival likely explain Carboniferous diversity gains.

The relationship between body size and skull and dental characters in cricetid rodents from Nebraska

This study examines the relationship between body size and skull/dental traits in cricetid rodents from Nebraska, finding that skull and toothrow length are better predictors of body size than molar length.

Niche partitioning and limited mobility characterise Middle Pleistocene kangaroos from eastern Australia

This study uses Sr and C isotopes to analyze foraging ranges and diets of Middle Pleistocene kangaroos, revealing limited mobility and niche partitioning between C3 and C4 environments.

Splendid isolation with migration: Diversity dynamics of South American mammals

The paper models how immigration of African and North American mammals affected South American mammal diversity, finding increased overall richness but declining native diversity over time.

Ancient DNA Clarifies the Identity and Geographic Origin of the holotype of the genus Ctenomys

The paper uses ancient DNA analysis to confirm the identity and geographic origin of the holotype of Ctenomys brasiliensis, resolving a century-old debate.

Incorporating continuous characters in joint estimation of dicynodont phylogeny

This study estimates dicynodont phylogeny using continuous traits under Brownian motion models and finds they contribute different signal compared to discrete traits, leading to different tree topologies.

Reefal regions were biodiversity hotspots throughout the Phanerozoic

The paper quantifies diversity patterns in reef-supporting and non-reef-supporting regions across the Phanerozoic, finding reef regions consistently more diverse.

Phylogenomics of the sigmodontine rodents: Cloud forests and Pliocene extinction explain timing and spread of the radiation of South American mice and rats

This study uses genomic data to analyze the timing and spread of Sigmodontinae rodent radiation, linking it to climatic and geological events in South America.

Precocial ancestry of placental mammals

The paper reconstructs the evolutionary history of neonatal maturity in mammals and finds that the eutherian ancestor likely gave birth to precocial neonates, challenging the idea that precociality evolved multiple times within eutherians.