Comments on: The end of phylogenetic controversies http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2012/10/the-end-of-phylogenetic-controversies/ Fri, 24 May 2013 00:04:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Mike Keesey http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2012/10/the-end-of-phylogenetic-controversies/#comment-47536 Mike Keesey Mon, 08 Oct 2012 17:07:57 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/?p=18661#comment-47536 So the divergence of Telesotei is linked to the Permian-Triassic extinction? Leads to me to formulate a hypothesis: when a crown group's internal branching order is difficult to pin down (Placentalia, Neoaves, Teleostei), it probably diversified rapidly in conjunction with a major extinction event. So the divergence of Telesotei is linked to the Permian-Triassic extinction? Leads to me to formulate a hypothesis: when a crown group’s internal branching order is difficult to pin down (Placentalia, Neoaves, Teleostei), it probably diversified rapidly in conjunction with a major extinction event.

]]> By: Mike Keesey (@tmkeesey) http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2012/10/the-end-of-phylogenetic-controversies/#comment-47535 Mike Keesey (@tmkeesey) Mon, 08 Oct 2012 15:36:53 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/?p=18661#comment-47535 If I had nickel for every time someone said "mammal" when they meant "placental".... (The root of Mammalia is pretty solidly understood, at least in terms of extant taxa. There is a little trouble figuring out whether some fossil taxa are part of the crown group or not.) Placental mammals and neoavian birds seem to have diversified very rapidly somewhere around the Cretaceous-Paleogene event -- that's why the branching order is hard to nail down. If I had nickel for every time someone said “mammal” when they meant “placental”….

(The root of Mammalia is pretty solidly understood, at least in terms of extant taxa. There is a little trouble figuring out whether some fossil taxa are part of the crown group or not.)

Placental mammals and neoavian birds seem to have diversified very rapidly somewhere around the Cretaceous-Paleogene event — that’s why the branching order is hard to nail down.

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