scholarly journals The Evolutionary Dynamics of Negative Existentials in Indo-European

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahar Shirtz ◽  
Luigi Talamo ◽  
Annemarie Verkerk
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Skewed Distribution ◽  
Phylogenetic Comparative Methods ◽  
Transition Rates ◽  
Evolutionary Models ◽  
Posterior Distributions ◽  
European Languages ◽  
Family Based ◽  
Negative Existentials ◽  
Phylogenetic Modeling

Where in earlier work diachronic change is used to explain away exceptions to typologies, linguistic typologists have started to make use of explicit diachronic models as explanations for typological distributions. A topic that lends itself for this approach especially well is that of negation. In this article, we assess the explanatory value of a specific hypothesis, the Negative Existential Cycle (NEC), on the distribution of negative existential strategies (“types”) in 106 Indo-European languages. We use Bayesian phylogenetic comparative methods to infer posterior distributions of transition rates and parameters, thus applying rational methods to construct and evaluate a set of different models under which the attested typological distribution could have evolved. We find that the frequency of diachronic processes that affect negative existentials outside of the NEC cannot be ignored—the unidirectional NEC alone cannot explain the evolution of negative existential strategies in our sample. We show that non-unidirectional evolutionary models, especially those that allow for different and multiple transitions between strategies, provide better fit. In addition, the phylogenetic modeling is impacted by the expected skewed distribution of negative existential strategies in our sample, pointing out the need for densely sampled and family-based typological research.

scholarly journals Numeral classifiers and number marking in Indo-Iranian

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chundra A. Cathcart ◽  
Andreas Hölzl ◽  
Gerhard Jäger ◽  
Paul Widmer ◽  
Balthasar Bickel
Keyword(s):  
Transition Rates ◽  
Posterior Distributions ◽  
Alternative Possibility ◽  
Evolutionary Transition ◽  
Numeral Classifiers ◽  
Number Marking ◽  
European Languages ◽  
History Of ◽  
Phylogenetic Model ◽  
Plural Marking

Abstract This paper investigates the origins of sortal numeral classifiers in the Indo-Iranian languages. While these are often assumed to result from contact with non-Indo-European languages, an alternative possibility is that classifiers developed as a response to the rise of optional plural marking. This alternative is in line with the so-called Greenberg-Sanches-Slobin (henceforth GSS) generalization. The GSS generalization holds that the presence of sortal numeral classifiers across languages is negatively correlated with obligatory plural marking on nouns. We assess the extent to which Indo-Iranian classifier development is influenced by loosening of restrictions on plural marking using a sample of 65 languages and a Bayesian phylogenetic model, inferring posterior distributions over evolutionary transition rates between typological states and using these rates to reconstruct the history of classifiers and number marking throughout Indo-Iranian, constrained by historically attested states. We find broad support for a diachronically oriented construal of the GSS generalization, but find no evidence for a strong bias against the synchronic co-occurrence of classifiers and obligatory plural marking. Inspection of the most likely diachronic trajectories in individual lineages in the tree shows a stronger effect of the GSS among Iranian languages than Indo-Aryan languages. Taken as a whole, these findings suggest that the association of classifiers and optional number marking in Indo-Iranian is neither solely the effect of universal mechanisms nor of the contingency of local contact histories.

scholarly journals Evolutionary dynamics of Indo-European alignment patterns

Diachronica ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerd Carling ◽  
Chundra Cathcart
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Phylogenetic Signal ◽  
Transition Rates ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Alignment System ◽  
Probability Of Presence ◽  
Phylogenetic Modeling ◽  
Phylogenetic Method

Abstract This paper employs phylogenetic modeling to reconstruct the alignment system of Indo-European. We use a data set of categorical morphosyntactic features, which take states such as ‘nominative-accusative’, ‘active-stative’, or ‘ergative’. We analyze these characters with a standard Bayesian comparative phylogenetic method, inferring transition rates between character states on the basis of a phylogenetic representation of the languages in the data. Using these rates, we then reconstruct the probability of presence of traits at the root and nodes of Indo-European. We find that the most probable alignment system for Proto-Indo-European is a nominative-accusative system, with low probabilities of neutral marking and ergativity in the categories lower in grammatical hierarchies (nouns, past). Using a test of phylogenetic signal, we find that characters pertaining to categories higher in hierarchies show greater phylogenetic stability than categories lower in hierarchies. We examine our results in relation to theories of Proto-Indo-European alignment as well as to general typology.

scholarly journals How long do Red Queen dynamics survive under genetic drift? A comparative analysis of evolutionary and eco-evolutionary models

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Schenk ◽  
Hinrich Schulenburg ◽  
Arne Traulsen
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Stochastic Dynamics ◽  
Extinction Time ◽  
Evolutionary Models ◽  
Red Queen ◽  
Fluctuating Selection ◽  
Ecological Dynamics ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Fixed Population

AbstractBackgroundRed Queen dynamics are defined as long term co-evolutionary dynamics, often with oscillations of genotype abundances driven by fluctuating selection in host-parasite systems. Much of our current understanding of these dynamics is based on theoretical concepts explored in mathematical models that are mostly (i) deterministic, inferring an infinite population size and (ii) evolutionary, thus ecological interactions that change population sizes are excluded. Here, we recall the different mathematical approaches used in the current literature on Red Queen dynamics. We then compare models from game theory (evo) and classical theoretical ecology models (eco-evo), that are all derived from individual interactions and are thus intrinsically stochastic. We assess the influence of this stochasticity through the time to the first loss of a genotype within a host or parasite population.ResultsThe time until the first genotype is lost (“extinction time”), is shorter when ecological dynamics, in the form of a changing population size, is considered. Furthermore, when individuals compete only locally with other individuals extinction is even faster. On the other hand, evolutionary models with a fixed population size and competition on the scale of the whole population prolong extinction and therefore stabilise the oscillations. The stabilising properties of intraspecific competitions become stronger when population size is increased and the deterministic part of the dynamics gain influence. In general, the loss of genotype diversity can be counteracted with mutations (or recombination), which then allow the populations to recurrently undergo negative frequency-dependent selection dynamics and selective sweeps.ConclusionAlthough the models we investigated are equal in their biological motivation and interpretation, they have diverging mathematical properties both in the derived deterministic dynamics and the derived stochastic dynamics. We find that models that do not consider intraspecific competition and that include ecological dynamics by letting the population size vary, lose genotypes – and thus Red Queen oscillations – faster than models with competition and a fixed population size.

scholarly journals KONZEPT „EUROPA“ AN DER SCHWELLE ZWEIER JAHRTAUSENDE

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (9(77)) ◽  
pp. 51-55
Author(s):  
Nataliia Lysetska
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
High Standard ◽  
Semantic Content ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
European Languages ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Temporal Space

The article deals with the analysis of the concept „Europa“ and its interpretation by the speakers of German linguistic culture at the turn of the two millennia. The semantic content of the concept „Europa“ was explored on the basis of Internet sources for identifying dominant and systemic relationships within this concept; the evolutionary process of forming the concept „Europa“ is shown as a fragment of the conceptual picture of the world; the concept „Europa“ of the XX century is discussed on the basis of the book by the ex-Chancellor of Germany G.Schmidt „Die Deutschen und ihre Nachbarn. Menschen und Mächte II“; the functioning of the concept „Europa“ in the modern German-language mass media is analyzed. The analysis of the factual material has revealed that the concept „Europa“ in German-speaking linguistic culture has multiple meanings. The three-dimensional structure of the concept – notional, figurative and evaluative – changes and acquires new meaningful shades over different historical intervals. The evolutionary dynamics of the chosen concept within the defined temporal space are as follows: EUROPA – a spiritual and multinational unity (where Christianity and European languages ​​are decisive), united Europe, common Europe / ein einheitliches Europa, Gesamteuropa, new united Europe / das vereinte neue Europa, split Europe / gespaltetes Europa (notional component); Europe is a kaleidoscope / Europa ist ein Kaleidoskop, Europe is a fortress / Festung Europa, Europe in danger / Europa in Gefahr (figurative component); unity with a democratic state form and a high standard of living with the rule of law (Western Europe) / ein Ganzes mit demokratischer Staatsform und hohem Lebensstandard, in dem Menschenrechte verwirklicht warden (Westeuropa), multinational Europe / multikulturelles Europa, disoriented Europe / desorientiertes Europa (evaluative component). It is proved that the meaning of the concept „Europa“ can be fully revealed only by taking into account and combining a number of factors (historical, geographical, economic, cultural, religious, political, social, etc)., taking into account their evolutionary dynamics in the past and at the present stage of development.

scholarly journals Coevolution of group-living and aposematism in caterpillars: warning colouration may facilitate the evolution from group-living to solitary habits

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingzi Wang ◽  
Stephen J. Cornell ◽  
Michael P. Speed ◽  
Kevin Arbuckle
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Chemical Defence ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Warning Signal ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Transition Rates ◽  
Aggregation Behaviour ◽  
Solitary Living ◽  
Antipredator Mechanisms

Abstract Background Animals use diverse antipredator mechanisms, including visual signalling of aversive chemical defence (aposematism). However, the initial evolution of aposematism poses the problem that the first aposematic individuals are conspicuous to predators who have not learned the significance of the warning colouration. In one scenario, aposematism evolves in group-living species and originally persisted due to kin selection or positive frequency-dependent selection in groups. Alternatively, group-living might evolve after aposematism because grouping can amplify the warning signal. However, our current understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of these traits is limited, leaving the relative merit of these scenarios unresolved. Results We used a phylogenetic comparative approach to estimate phenotypic evolutionary models to enable inferences regarding ancestral states and trait dynamics of grouping and aposematic colouration in a classic model system (caterpillars). We find strong support for aposematism at the root of the clade, and some (but weaker) support for ancestral solitary habits. Transition rates between aposematism and crypsis are generally higher than those between group-living and solitary-living, suggesting that colouration is more evolutionarily labile than aggregation. We also find that the transition from group-living to solitary-living states can only happen in aposematic lineage, suggesting that aposematism facilitates the evolution of solitary caterpillars, perhaps due to the additional protection offered when the benefits of grouping are lost. We also find that the high frequency of solitary, cryptic caterpillars is because this state is particularly stable, in that the transition rates moving towards this state are substantially higher than those moving away from it, favouring its accumulation in the clade over evolutionary time. Conclusions Our results provide new insights into the coevolution of colour and aggregation in caterpillars. We find support for an aposematic caterpillar at the root of this major clade, and for the signal augmentation hypothesis as an explanation of the evolution of aposematic, group-living caterpillars. We find that colouration is more labile than aggregation behaviour, but that the combination of solitary and cryptic habits is particularly stable. Finally, our results reveal that the transitions from group-living to solitary-living could be facilitated by aposematism, providing a new link between these well-studied traits.

scholarly journals Microbiomes, Community Ecology, and the Comparative Method

mSystems ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. Hird
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Models ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Biological Information ◽  
Phylogenetic Comparative Methods ◽  
Evolutionary Models ◽  
Microbial Biodiversity ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
Ecological Theories ◽  
Host Evolution

ABSTRACT Microbiomes contain many levels of biological information, and integrating across the levels creates a holistic understanding of host-microbiome interactions. In my research on the evolution and ecology of avian microbiomes, I use two complementary frameworks: the microbiome as a community and the microbiome as a trait of the host. We draw on classic ecological and evolutionary theory and modern statistical models to advance our understanding in each of these frameworks and then integrate what we have learned into a better understanding of host-associated microbiomes, host evolution, and microbial biodiversity. Ecological theories that bear on processes such as community assembly and metacommunities are well suited for application to microbiomes. Phylogenetic comparative methods can quantify the fit of evolutionary models and detect correlations between traits and correlations between traits and the rate of evolution; these methods allow the inference of evolutionary process from contemporary patterns.

scholarly journals Phylogenetic Comparative Methods: A User’s Guide for Paleontologists

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Soul ◽  
David Wright
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Comparative Methods ◽  
Model Fit ◽  
Phylogenetic Comparative Methods ◽  
Sources Of Uncertainty ◽  
History Of ◽  
Statistical Approaches ◽  
Evolutionary Tempo And Mode ◽  
Fossil Data ◽  
Analytical Tools

Recent advances in statistical approaches called Phylogenetic Comparative Methods (PCMs) have provided paleontologists with a powerful set of analytical tools for investigating evolutionary tempo and mode in fossil lineages. However, attempts to integrate PCMs with fossil data often present workers with practical challenges or unfamiliar literature. In this paper, we present guides to the theory behind, and application of, PCMs with fossil taxa. Based on an empirical dataset of Paleozoic crinoids, we present example analyses to illustrate common applications of PCMs to fossil data, including investigating patterns of correlated trait evolution, and macroevolutionary models of morphological change. We emphasize the importance of accounting for sources of uncertainty, and discuss how to evaluate model fit and adequacy. Finally, we discuss several promising methods for modelling heterogenous evolutionary dynamics with fossil phylogenies. Integrating phylogeny-based approaches with the fossil record provides a rigorous, quantitative perspective to understanding key patterns in the history of life.

scholarly journals Extra base hits: widespread empirical support for instantaneous multiple-nucleotide changes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander G Lucaci ◽  
Sadie R Wisotsky ◽  
Stephen D. Shank ◽  
Steven Weaver ◽  
Sergei L. Kosakovsky Pond
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Synonymous Codon ◽  
Model Misspecification ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
Small Subset ◽  
Evolutionary Models ◽  
Single Nucleotide Change ◽  
Codon Substitution ◽  
Alignment Errors

AbstractDespite many attempts to introduce evolutionary models that permit substitutions that instantly alter more than one nucleotide in a codon, the prevailing wisdom remains that such changes are rare and generally negligible (or are reflective of non-biological artifacts, such as alignment errors), and codon models continue to posit that only single nucleotide change have non-zero rates. We develop and test a simple hierarchy of codon-substitution models with non-zero evolutionary rates for only one-nucleotide (1H), one- and two-nucleotide (2H), or any (3H) codon substitutions. Using 35,000 empirical alignments, we find widespread statistical support for multiple hits: 58% of alignments prefer models with 2H allowed, and 22% – with 3H allowed. Analyses of simulated data suggest that these results are not likely to be due to simple artifacts such as model misclassification or alignment errors. Further modeling revealed that synonymous codon island jumping among codons encoding serine, especially along short branches, contributes significantly to this 3H signal. While serine codons were prominently involved in multiple-hit substitutions, there were other common exchanges contributing to better model fit. It appears that a small subset of sites in most alignments have unusual evolutionary dynamics not well explained by existing model formalisms, and that commonly estimated quantities, such as dN/dS ratios may be biased by model misspecification. Our findings highlight the need for continued evaluation of assumptions underlying workhorse evolutionary models and subsequent evolutionary inference techniques. We provide a software implementation for evolutionary biologists to assess the potential impact of extra base hits in their data in the HyPhy package.

scholarly journals Scramble, Scurry and Dash: The Correlation between Motion Event Encoding and Manner Verb Lexicon Size in Indo-European

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annemarie Verkerk
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Methods ◽  
Motion Verbs ◽  
Phylogenetic Comparative Methods ◽  
European Languages ◽  
Shared History ◽  
Motion Event ◽  
Motion Verb ◽  
Verb Lexicon ◽  
Over Time

In recent decades, much has been discovered about the different ways in which people can talk about motion (Talmy, 1985, 1991; Slobin, 1996, 1997, 2004). Slobin (1997) has suggested that satellite-framed languages typically have a larger and more diverse lexicon of manner of motion verbs (such as run, fly, and scramble) when compared to verb-framed languages. Slobin (2004) has claimed that larger manner of motion verb lexicons originate over time because codability factors increase the accessibility of manner in satellite-framed languages. In this paper I investigate the dependency between the use of the satellite-framed encoding construction and the size of the manner verb lexicon. The data used come from 20 Indo-European languages. The methodology applied is a range of phylogenetic comparative methods adopted from biology, which allow for an investigation of this dependency while taking into account the shared history between these 20 languages. The results provide evidence that Slobin’s hypothesis was correct, and indeed there seems to be a relationship between the use of the satellite-framed construction and the size of the manner verb lexicon.

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