Abstract
Graham E Budd, Uppsala University & Richard P Mann, University of Leeds
The apparent conflict between estimates derived from the fossil record and those from the molecular clock for the times of origins of major clades remains as puzzling as ever. Here we put up the defence for the fossils and argue that inappropriate priors and inadequate model selection lie behind much of the mismatch. As a result, the fossil record is probably a lot more reliable than what recent molecular estimates might suggest, which often have it being wrong by hundreds of millions of years.
About Professor Graham Budd
Graham is a professor and head of palaeobiology at Uppsala University, Sweden. His research focuses on the Cambrian explosion and the evolution and development, anatomy, and patterns of diversification of the Ecdysozoa. For more information, here is a link to a recent interview in current biology.
More information
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