Journal
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGICAL SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTIONARY RESEARCH
Volume 50, Issue 1, Pages 59-66Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0469.2011.00646.x
Keywords
Ancestral character state reconstruction; BiSSE; evolutionary constraint; macroevolution; oviparity; viviparity; reverse-jump Markov Chain Monte Carlo Bayesian methods
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Dollos law, that complex characters are not regained in evolution, is a pattern applied to many systems. Recent work has evaluated unidirectional evolution in a number of contexts, and several violations of this law have been documented. These methods have also been criticized for potentially overestimating reversals. We test the hypothesis that the ancestral reproductive mode of oviparity can be regained in vipers, in opposition to Dollos law. We use model comparison and ancestral character state reconstruction methods that address recent criticisms, and find evidence both supporting and refuting Dollos predictions from different analyses. We discuss our results in the context of unidirectional evolution and review factors required for strong inference of violations of Dollos law.
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