The making of calibration sausage exemplified by recalibrating the transcriptomic timetree of jawed vertebrates

摘要: Abstract Molecular divergence dating has the potential to overcome incompleteness of fossil record in inferring when cladogenetic events (splits, divergences) happened, but needs be calibrated by record. Ideally unrealistically, this would require practitioners specialists molecular evolution, phylogeny and all sampled taxa, chronostratigraphy sites fossils were found in. Paleontologists have therefore tried help publishing compendia recommended calibrations, biologists unfamiliar with made heavy use such works (in addition using scattered primary sources copying from each other). Using a recent example large node-dated timetree inferred data, I reevaluate thirty calibrations detail, present current state knowledge on them its various uncertainties, rerun analysis, conclude that calibration dates cannot taken published or other secondary tertiary without risking strong distortions results, because become outdated faster than they are published: 50 cite constrain 2019, half total 276 after mid-2016, 90% mid-2005. It follows work serve as compendium either; slightly longer term, it can only highlight known overlooked problems. Future authors will need solve these problems anew through thorough search paleobiological chronostratigraphic literature date every time infer new timetree; is not optimized for task, largely objectives.