Phylogenetic ecology : a history, critique, and remodeling /

Swenson (Univ. of Maryland) promotes a new approach to the discipline of phylogeny, and in the process proposes a novel application of the phylogenetic tree as a metric for ecological assessment of biological communities. In doing so, he offers a challenging read, not a bad thing in itself--yet the novice readers he hopes to address may be slowed by a style that involves an almost pedantic preoccupation with terminology: e.g., is this part of the topology a "node," a "tip," or a "leaf"? is that part an "edge" or a "branch"? Certainly simplicity is not a characteristic of the systems (metrics) expressed through phylogeny, yet many of the concepts examined in the text could be more easily explained (a case in point may be found in Swenson's treatment of island separations). The general dilemma of phylogeny today comes down to whether to seek out a new methodology or reexamine and modify work done in the past. There are defenders of both approaches. A burgeoning new field (as introduced in chapter 7, "Functional Phylogenomics for Ecology") is a fine thing, but its presentation here creates a hurdle for the audience. Still, readers able to get through this text will be rewarded by the exercise. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through researchers and faculty. --Francis W. Yow, emeritus, Kenyon College