Evolution: No extinction? No way!

The fossil record reveals rampant extinction. However, analyses of time-calibrated molecular phylogenies often find no extinction at all. A new paper shows that estimates of zero extinction are entirely incorrect and are caused by limitations of analysing phylogenies that sample only living species.

Automated summary

The fossil record and molecular phylogenies often differ in their findings of extinction rates, with the new paper highlighting the limitations of analyzing phylogenies that only sample living species and leading to incorrect estimates of zero extinction.