Ending a decade of deception: a valiant failure, a not-so-valiant failure, and a success story.

Prior studies involving two methods, Brooks Parsimony Analysis (BPA) and TreeMap, have found BPA to be the more reliable method. Recent criticisms leveled at these studies argue that the tests were unfairly created and biased in favor of BPA. The authors of a recent critique offered new exemplars to demonstrate flaws in BPA, plus a simple fix to correct the flaws found in TreeMap.

A Posteriori and a Priori Methodologies for Testing Hypotheses of Causal Processes in Vicariance Biogeography.

Methods used in vicariance biogeography fall into the categories of a posteriori methods (e.g., Component Compatibility Analysis and Brooks Parsimony Analysis) and a priori methods (e.

Measures for Obtaining Inclusive Sets of Area Cladograms under Assumptions Zero, 1, and 2 with Different Methods for Vicariance Biogeography.

We present modifications to computer programs of a posteriori and a priori methods for vicariance biogeography that enable them to obtain inclusive sets of area cladograms under assumptions zero, 1, and 2. With CAFCA (Component Compatibility Analysis) an upper limit for area cladogram selection by the number of steps is not always sufficient for inclusive sets. CAFCA needs additionally a lower limit for the number of components used to derive area cladograms when noninclusion arises because CAFCA selects area cladograms with different resolutions.

Methods in Vicariance Biogeography: Assessment of the Implementations of Assumptions 0, 1, and 2.

As we have argued previously, for the valid derivation of general area cladograms in vicariance biogeography, two requirements should be met. First, sets of area cladograms derived under assumptions 0, 1 and 2 should be inclusive (requirement I). Second, general area cladograms should be based on area cladograms, for different monophyletic groups, derived under the same assumption (requirement II).

Two Requirements for Obtaining Valid Common Patterns under Different Assumptions in Vicariance Biogeography.

In vicariance biogeography, widespread or sympatric taxa can be dealt with under assumptions 0, 1, and 2. Data from cladogenetic relationships among taxa of a monophyletic group and their distribution over areas are assumed, in the order 0 → 1 → 2, to represent decreasing information about vicariance events. A less strict assumption carries a larger solution set, i.