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Related Concept Videos

The Evidence for Evolution02:55

The Evidence for Evolution

Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.
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Speciation Rates

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Phylogeny

Phylogeny is concerned with the evolutionary diversification of organisms or groups of organisms. A group of organisms with a name is called a taxon (singular). Taxa (plural) can span different levels of the evolutionary hierarchy. For instance, the group containing all birds is a taxon (comprising the class Aves), and the group of all species of daisies (the genus Bellis) is a taxon. Phylogenies can likewise include just one genus (i.e., depict species relationships) or span an entire kingdom.
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons02:54

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons

Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2026

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
10:23

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles

Published on: July 11, 2025

Evolutionary dynamics of taxonomic structure.

Michael Foote1

  • 1Department of the Geophysical Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. mfoote@uchicago.edu

Biology Letters
|August 26, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Species distribution across genera reveals evolutionary rates. The proportion of monotypic genera may indicate genus origination rates, with bivalves showing higher rates than gastropods.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Macroevolutionary Dynamics
  • Taxonomic Diversification

Background:

  • Species distribution within higher taxa holds untapped potential for understanding evolutionary rates.
  • Birth-death models are commonly used to study speciation and extinction dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To model the probability distribution of species number per genus using a birth-death model.
  • To assess the utility of taxonomic distributions in inferring macroevolutionary dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • A stochastic, time-homogeneous birth-death model was employed with parameters for species extinction (μ) and genus origination (γ), scaled by speciation rate (λ).
  • Sensitivity analysis was performed on model parameters and their effect on species:genus ratio and monotypic genera proportion.

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Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 29, 2026

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
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A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles

Published on: July 11, 2025

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Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton
08:02

Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton

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  • The model was applied to living marine molluscs of New Zealand.

    • Main Results:

    • The species distribution is more sensitive to genus origination rate (γ) than extinction rate (μ).
    • The proportion of monotypic genera serves as a reliable index for genus origination rate (γ).
    • Bivalves exhibit a higher relative genus origination rate compared to gastropods, supported by palaeontological data.

    Conclusions:

    • Taxonomic distributions, particularly the proportion of monotypic genera, can effectively infer macroevolutionary dynamics.
    • Analysis of living species distributions can provide insights into evolutionary processes even in the absence of fossil records.
    • Bivalves and gastropods show differing genus origination rates, highlighting clade-specific macroevolutionary patterns.