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Too simple models may predict the island rule for the wrong reasons
Author(s) -
DinizFilho José Alexandre F.,
Meiri Shai,
Hortal Joaquin,
Santos Ana M. C.,
Raia Pasquale
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
ecology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.852
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1461-0248
pISSN - 1461-023X
DOI - 10.1111/ele.13878
Subject(s) - simple (philosophy) , dwarfing , ecology , null model , econometrics , product (mathematics) , statistical physics , computer science , biology , mathematical economics , mathematics , physics , philosophy , botany , rootstock , epistemology , geometry
Biddick & Burns (2021) proposed a null/neutral model that reproduces the island rule as a product of random drift. We agree that it is unnecessary to assume adaptive processes driving island dwarfing or gigantism, but several flaws make their approach unrealistic and thus unsuitable as a stochastic model for evolutionary size changes.