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Testing lineage and comparative methods for inferring adaptation
Author(s) -
Kluge Arnold G.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
zoologica scripta
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.204
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1463-6409
pISSN - 0300-3256
DOI - 10.1111/j.1463-6409.2005.00207.x
Subject(s) - adaptation (eye) , biology , inference , presupposition , evolutionary biology , comparative method , lineage (genetic) , convergence (economics) , statistical inference , homology (biology) , epistemology , artificial intelligence , computer science , genetics , statistics , mathematics , gene , linguistics , philosophy , neuroscience , economics , economic growth
The competing lineage (homology) and comparative (convergence) methods for inferring adaptation are distinguished by their falsification and verification practices, respectively. Although these are substantially different paradigms of historical inference, their theoretical and philosophical presuppositions can be tested in a rigorous and comparable manner. Several such tests were performed. Sufficient outright failures were recorded for both methods to call into question their validity as sources of increased knowledge of adaptation.