Three evolutionary radiations shaped the evolution of global religious diversity

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary studies
• Religious studies
• Computational phylogenetics

Background:

• Religious diversity has significantly impacted human history, yet its evolutionary dynamics are poorly understood.
• A key question is whether new religious denominations emerge gradually or in rapid bursts tied to historical events.
• Quantitative global data on this phenomenon is scarce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the evolutionary dynamics of religious diversity using phylogenetic methods.
• To determine if the emergence of religious denominations occurs gradually or in bursts.
• To identify historical events potentially linked to shifts in denomination birth rates.

Main Methods:

• Application of computational phylogenetic methods to a dataset of 291 religious denominations.
• Construction of dated phylogenies for Indo-Iranian, Islamic, and Judeo-Christian religious families.
• Modeling of new denomination birth rates along phylogenetic branches and testing for rate shifts.

Main Results:

• Evidence of significant birth rate shifts in the Islamic and Judeo-Christian religious families.
• Identification of at least three distinct historical events associated with these shifts.
• Phylogenetic analysis provides quantitative insights into the evolution of religious diversity.

Conclusions:

• The evolution of religious diversity is shaped by both gradual processes and episodic bursts.
• Specific historical events have demonstrably influenced the rate at which new religious denominations emerge.
• Computational phylogenetics offers a powerful framework for studying the historical development of religions.