Ca. Hunn et P. Upchurch, The importance of time/space in diagnosing the causality of phylogenetic events: Towards a "chronobiogeographical" paradigm?, SYST BIOL, 50(3), 2001, pp. 391-407
A shift from a traditional biogeographical paradigm in cladistic biogeograp
hy to a chronobiogeographical paradigm is proposed. The chronobiogeographic
al paradigm aims to utilize temporal data in conjunction with spatial data
in the detection of discrete historical events, such as vicariance and vica
riant speciation, in cladograms. The concepts of primary and secondary cong
ruency are introduced in relation to the distinction between repeated area
relationships (primary congruency) and common extrinsic causality (secondar
y congruency). Simple hypothetical examples demonstrate that area cladogram
s cannot be safely interpreted purely as representing the sequence of area
fragmentation; rather, they reflect recency of biotic interaction. Temporal
data are shown to have a direct and potentially profound influence on the
results of traditional cladistic biogeographical analyses, indicating the n
ecessity of developing a chronobiogeographical approach. The implementation
of the paradigm is considered first from a theoretical viewpoint and then
in the context of the type of empirical data usually available. An as yet u
ndevised "time/space algorithm" is deemed necessary for the latter, and gui
delines are presented for the development of such an algorithm. Finally, we
argue that the most rigorous and philosophically justified approach to the
detection of phylogenetic causal events can be found only when temporal an
d spatial data are considered simultaneously. Consequently, the chronobioge
ographical paradigm is seen as a logical elaboration of, not a replacement
for, the biogeographical paradigm.