Body size evolution in Mesozoic birds: little evidence for Cope's rule

Butler, R. J. and Goswami, A. (2008) Body size evolution in Mesozoic birds: little evidence for Cope's rule. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 21 (6). pp. 1673-1682. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2008.01594.x

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Abstract

Cope's rule, the tendency towards evolutionary increases in body size, is a long-standing macroevolutionary generalization that has the potential to provide insights into directionality in evolution; however, both the definition and identification of Cope's rule are controversial and problematic. A recent study [J. Evol. Biol. 21 (2008) 618] examined body size evolution in Mesozoic birds, and claimed to have identified evidence of Cope's rule occurring as a result of among-lineage species sorting. We here reassess the results of this study, and additionally carry out novel analyses testing for within-lineage patterns in body size evolution in Mesozoic birds. We demonstrate that the nonphylogenetic methods used by this previous study cannot distinguish between among- and within-lineage processes, and that statistical support for their results and conclusions is extremely weak. Our ancestor–descendant within-lineage analyses explicitly incorporate recent phylogenetic hypotheses and find little compelling evidence for Cope's rule. Cope's rule is not supported in Mesozoic birds by the available data, and body size evolution currently provides no insights into avian survivorship through the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	08AREP IA57 2008 P
Subjects:	04 - Palaeobiology
Divisions:	04 - Palaeobiology
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Evolutionary Biology
Volume:	21
Page Range:	pp. 1673-1682
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2008.01594.x
Depositing User:	Sarah Humbert
Date Deposited:	16 Feb 2009 13:01
Last Modified:	23 Jul 2013 10:01
URI:	http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/id/eprint/168

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