Phylogenetic comparative methods are extremely commonly used in evolutionary biology. In this paper, I highlight some of the problems that are frequently encountered in comparative analyses and review how they can be fixed. In broad terms, the problems boil down to a lack of appreciation of the underlying assumptions of comparative methods, as well as problems with implementing methods in a man...

Despite the broad benefits that DNA barcoding can bring to a diverse range of biological disciplines, a number of shortcomings still exist in terms of the experimental design of studies incorporating this approach. One underlying reason for this lies in the confusion that often exists between species discovery and specimen identification, and this is reflected in the way that hypotheses are gen...

In today's climate of political correctness, I shall have to be very careful in choosing my words in this letter, because I do not want to stand trial for conspiring to provoke lewd behaviour, should our private correspondence fall into the wrong hands. The modern meaning of lust has very bad connotations. It suggests uncontrolled sexual desire or an overwhelming craving for money, fame or powe...

Memory serves many different functions in everyday life, but none is more important than providing a link between the present and the past that allows us to re-visit previously experienced events, people, and places. This link becomes increasingly significant as we age: recollections of past experiences serve as the basis for a process of life review that assumes great importance to many older ...