Modelling dispersal and ecological competition in a statistical phylogeographic framework

Competition between organisms influences the processes governing the colonisation of new habitats. As a consequence, species or populations arriving first at a suitable location may prevent secondary colonization. While adaptation to environmental variables (e.g., temperature, altitude, etc.) is essential, the presence or absence of certain species at a particular location often depends on whether or not competing species co-occur. Despite the potential of competition to maintain populations in isolation, past quantitative analyses of evolution have largely ignored that factor because of technical difficulties.