title: A comparative method for studying adaptation to a randomly evolving environment.
abstract: Most phylogenetic comparative methods used for testing adaptive hypotheses make evolutionary assumptions that are not compatible with evolution toward an optimal state. As a consequence they do not correct for maladaptation. The "evolutionary regression" that is returned is more shallow than the optimal relationship between the trait and environment. We show how both evolutionary and optimal regressions, as well as phylogenetic inertia, can be estimated jointly by a comparative method built around an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck model of adaptive evolution. The method considers a single trait adapting to an optimum that is influenced by one or more continuous, randomly changing predictor variables.
authors.affiliation: Center for Evolutionary and Ecological Synthesis, Department of Biology, University of Oslo, PB 1066, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway. thomas.hansen@bio.uio.no
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pienaar
authors.forename: Steven Hecht
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Orzack
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004777:Environment; D008116:Lizards; D008954:Models, Biological; D008957:Models, Genetic; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010802:Phylogeny; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012984:Software; D013269:Stochastic Processes