The Comparative Method in Evolutionary Biology

Paul H. Harvey + Mark D. Pagel

Oxford University Press 1991
A book review by Danny Yee © 1992 https://dannyreviews.com/
The comparative approach in evolutionary biology involves looking for correlations in characters between different members of a taxon. Using each species as an independent data point for statistical purposes is not valid, since species are often not independent because of a shared evolutionary history. The Comparative Method in Evolutionary Biology discusses several ways of using phylogenetic trees to separate the different components of the variation, thus allowing the use of simple statistical methods. Different methods are given for coping with discrete character variables, continuous character variables, and allometric relations.

Prerequisites: basic statistics and basic biology.

July 1992

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%T The Comparative Method in Evolutionary Biology
%A Harvey, Paul H.
%A Pagel, Mark D.
%I Oxford University Press
%D 1991
%O paperback, bibliography, index
%G ISBN 0198546408
%P viii,235pp