Phylogenetic comparative methods and the geographic range size – body size relationship in new world terrestrial carnivora

摘要: Most recent papers avoid describing macroecological relationships and interpreting then without a previous control of non-independence in data caused by phylogenetic patterns data. In this paper, we analyzed the geographic range size – body relationship for 70 species New World terrestrial Carnivora (‘fissipeds’) using various comparative methods simulation procedures to assess their statistical performance. Autocorrelation analyses suggested strong pattern size, but not size. The correlation between two traits was estimated standard Pearson across (TIPS) four different methods: Felsenstein's independent contrasts (PIC), autoregressive method (ARM), eigenvector regression (PVR) generalized least-squares (PGLS). variables significant all methods, except PIC, such way that ecological mechanisms (i.e., minimum viable population or environmental heterogeneity- physiological homeostasis), could be valid explanations relationship. Simulations O-U processes each trait were run order estimate true Type I errors method. at 5% similar (always lower than 8%), equal 13.1% TIPS. PIC usually performs better other under Brownian motion evolution, case more complex combination evolutionary models. So, claims research can too conservative are correct but, on hand, simple across-species is liberal even models exhibited here.