Authors
Sarah K Swiston, Michael J Landis
Publication date
2023/6/22
Journal
bioRxiv
Pages
2023.06. 19.545613
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Description
The spatial and environmental features of regions where clades are evolving are expected to impact biogeographic processes such as speciation, extinction, and dispersal. Any number of regional features (such as altitude, distance, area, etc.) may be directly or indirectly related to these processes. For example, it may be that distances or differences in altitude or both may limit dispersal rates. However, it is difficult to disentangle which features are most strongly related to rates of different processes. Here, we present an extensible Multi-feature Feature-Informed GeoSSE (MultiFIG) model that allows for the simultaneous investigation of any number of regional features. MultiFIG provides a conceptual framework for incorporating large numbers of features of different types, including categorical, quantitative, within-region, and between-region features, along with a mathematical framework for translating those features into biogeographic rates for statistical hypothesis testing. Using traditional Bayesian parameter estimation and reversible-jump Markov chain Monte Carlo, MultiFIG allows for the exploration of models with different numbers and combinations of feature-effect parameters, and generates estimates for the strengths of relationships between each regional feature and core process. We validate this model with a simulation study covering a range of scenarios with different numbers of regions, tree sizes, and feature values. We also demonstrate the application of MultiFIG with an empirical case study of the South American lizard genus Liolaemus, investigating sixteen regional features related to area, distance, and altitude. Our results show two …
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