David M. Kidd

Linking big: the continuing promise of evolutionary synthesis.

Synthetic science promises an unparalleled ability to find new meaning in old data, extant results, or previously unconnected methods and concepts, but pursuing synthesis can be a difficult and risky endeavor. Our experience as biologists, informaticians, and educators at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center has affirmed that synthesis can yield major insights, but also revealed that technological hurdles, prevailing academic culture, and general confusion about the nature of synthesis can hamper its progress. By presenting our view of what synthesis is, why it will continue to drive progress in evolutionary biology, and how to remove barriers to its progress, we provide a map to a future in which all scientists can engage productively in synthetic research.

Geophylobuilder 1.0: an ArcGiS extension for creating 'geophylogenies'

Evolution is inherently a spatiotemporal process; however, despite this, phylogenetic and geographical data and models remain largely isolated from one another. Geographical information systems provide a ready‐made spatial modelling, analysis and dissemination environment within which phylogenetic models can be explicitly linked with their associated spatial data and subsequently integrated with other georeferenced data sets describing the biotic and abiotic environment. geophylobuilder 1.0 is an extension for the arcgis geographical information system that builds a ‘geophylogenetic’ data model from a phylogenetic tree and associated geographical data. Geophylogenetic database objects can subsequently be queried, spatially analysed and visualized in both 2D and 3D within a geographical information systems.

Mitochondrial DNA variation and GIS analysis confirm a secondary origin of geographical variation in the bushcricket Ephippiger ephippiger (Orthoptera: Tettigonioidea), and resurrect two subspecies.

Geographic variation within species can originate through selection and drift in situ (primary variation) or from vicariant episodes (secondary variation). Most patterns of subspecific variation within European flora and fauna are thought to have secondary origins, reflecting isolation in refugia during Quaternary ice ages. The bushcricket Ephippiger ephippiger has an unusual pattern of geographical variability in morphology, behaviour and allozymes in southern France, which has been interpreted as reflecting recent primary origins rather than historical isolation. Re‐analysis of this variation using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) suggests a possible zone of hybridization within a complex pattern of geographical variation. Here we produce a genetic distance matrix from restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) bandsharing of an approximately 4.5 kb fragment of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and compare this with predictions resulting from the GIS analysis. The mtDNA variation supports a postglacial origin of geographical variation. Partial Mantel test comparisons of genetic distances with matrices of geographical distance, relevant environmental characteristics and possible refugia show refugia to be the best predictors of genetic distance. There is no evidence to support isolation by distance. However, environmental contrasts do explain significant variation in genetic distance after allowing for the effect of refugial origin. Also, a neighbour‐joining tree has a major division separating eastern and western forms. We conclude that the major source of variation within the species is historical isolation in glacial refugia, but that dispersal, hybridization and selection associated with environmental features has influenced patterns of mtDNA introgression. At least two valid subspecies can be defined.

Integrating environmental models with GIS: An object-oriented approach utilising a hierarchical data format (HDF) data repository

Conceptual, as well as operational, aspects need to be taken into account when developing an integrated modelling framework. A set of achievable requirements has been identified which are used to realise a solution that is applied to the modelling of ephemeral flood channels. The solution described provides: (1) a common data repository within which all model run details, scientific data sets and output results reside; (2) the ability to interactively visualise and select suitable data sets from the data repository to configure the model; (3) an interface for mediating the flow of information between model and other applications; and (4) the possibility to allow model functionality and associated data to be made available to the wider scientific community. This is achieved using an object-oriented approach within the Research System Inc. Interactive Data Language (IDL) and the adoption of National Center for Supercomputer Applications HDF as a common file format for modelling scenarios. The paper outlines the development of a class library, EM_HDF, for mediating and facilitating data exchange between the model and its HDF data repository. The developed system is designed to be applicable to a wide range of modelling applications beyond the fluvial model described.

A Geographical Information Science (GISc) Approach to Exploring Variation in The Bush Cricket Ephippiger ephippiger

A GISc analysis of E. ephippiger presents an alternative methodology for the investigation of intraspecific variation. The analyses identified potential patterns to the population structure that were expected in the organism. The population groups detected by the analysis of interpolated trait surfaces produce clear predictions. Hierarchical Fst analysis with populations nested within the putative refugial groups was confirmed if most of the variation in genetic variation reflected these patterns. Mantel tests comparing genetic variation with geographic distance, morphological or behavioural variation, or the presumed refugial origins of forms provided an alternative approach.