Information Theory Broadens the Spectrum of Molecular Ecology and Evolution

摘要: Information or entropy analysis of diversity is used extensively in community ecology, and has recently been exploited for prediction molecular ecology evolution. measures belong to a spectrum (or q profile) whose contrasting properties provide rich summary diversity, including allelic richness (q=0), Shannon information (q=1), heterozygosity (q=2). We present the merits describing forecasting variation within among groups, comparing forecasts with data, evaluating underlying processes such as dispersal. Importantly, directly link causal divergence outcomes, have straightforward relationship allele frequency differences (including monotonicity that q=2 lacks), show additivity across hierarchical layers behaviour, cellular processes, nongenetic inheritance.