23 Phylogenetic and Computational Approaches in Paleobiology and Paleoecology, Part I

This session highlights recent advances integrating phylogenetics, modeling, and computational methods with fossil data to address evolutionary and ecological questions through deep time. Topics include macroevolutionary trends, diversification dynamics, trait evolution, macroecology, and paleobiogeography.

Sunday, 19 October 2025
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
HBGCC, 304B

Building Phenotypic Character Matrices for Phylogenetic Inference: an Exploration of 35 Years of Practice

Paper number: 23-8
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 10:00 AM – 10:15 AM

Authors

Abstract

Recent methodological developments in phylogenetic inference have focused predominantly on molecular data. However, renewed interest in other datatypes, particularly morphological data, has followed from the increased recognition of the power of total evidence and tip-dating approaches, including fossil data, for inference of time-scaled trees and rates of evolution. Attention has largely focused on the improvement in models of morphological evolution and other analytical tools with much less discussion about data acquisition itself. Here we review past and current practice for describing and collecting morphological data for phylogenetic inference, particularly in fossil taxa. We present a meta-analysis of 164 phylogenetic analyses conducted over the last 35 years and focused on a diverse group of extinct arthropods, the trilobites. Trends in increasing matrix size, data type, and coding strategy are evident. Where present, polymorphic characters have been predominantly derived from discretized continuous characters, although increasingly practitioners are utilizing alternative approaches for the treatment of quantitative characters. Unsurprisingly, traditional indices that describe character consistency are highly correlated with matrix size but show surprising variation at different taxonomic scales. More recent attempts to describe data quality using information theory imply that characters can have high information content even if data is missing for many tips, providing support against the exclusion of characters because of missing data. We identify and recommend several avenues for increasing the quality and quantity of morphological character data in phylogenetic analyses and discuss how advances in the study of developmental biology and variational complexity can contribute to this.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-413938

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