Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Developing model species sets

A bunch of us put together a manuscript laying out the framework for developing model species sets.

Reviews are back from the first journal to which we submitted this. And they are interesting.

On the one hand, reviewers considered the idea "thought-provoking" and actually asked us to be even bolder.

The criticisms mostly came from the editor.

Concerns for the model species set primarily revolve around the consequences for selecting a model species set that isn't random. How much will this bias our understanding of the relationships among plant species traits?

The counterargument for this is that any sampling scheme currently being used is not random.  And the consequences for lack of randomness can be tested with further specie selection.

Also, apparently there are concerns about the consequences for selection model species that parallel concerns for model organisms.

But no one would ever go back in time and prevent model organisms from being established.

In all, model species sets are going to be important. They really are the only way to begin to examine how broad suites of species traits relate to one another...

This will be interesting.

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