Phylogenetic paleoecology: macroecology within an evolutionary framework

The burgeoning field of phylogenetic paleoecology (Lamsdell et al. 2017) represents a synthesis the related but differently focused fields macroecology (Brown 1995) and macroevolution (Stanley 1975). Through combination data methods both disciplines, leverages theory quantitative to explain temporal spatial variation in species diversity, distribution, disparity. Phylogenetic is ideally situated elucidate many fundamental issues evolutionary biology, including generation new phenotypes occupation previously unexploited environments; nature relationships among character change, ecology, rates; determinants geographic distribution clades; underlying signal ecological selectivity extinctions radiations. This because explicitly recognizes incorporates quasi-independent as expressed dual biological hierarchies (Eldredge Salthe 1984; Congreve 2018; Fig. 1), incorporating covarying factors rather than focusing on one treating other error within dataset.