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Study

Determining the null model for detecting adaptive convergence from genomic data: a case study using echolocating mammals

Thomas, Gregg W. C.; Hahn, Matthew W.

Molecular Biology and Evolution, 2015

Peer-reviewedgenomic studynot applicable

What they did

Re-analyses the echolocating-mammal comparison after establishing how many convergent substitutions would be expected between any pair of lineages by chance, given branch lengths and the substitution process, and compares the observed count against that expectation and against control lineage pairs.

Studied in
Chiroptera, Cetacea, Mammalia
Sample size
re-analysis of the same genomic comparison under explicit null models

What they found

Convergent substitutions between echolocating lineages were not clearly in excess of the number expected between comparable non-echolocating lineage pairs, once an appropriate null expectation was applied.

What it means

The authors' reading, and ours. Where they differ, that difference is the point.

How the authors put it

Detecting adaptive molecular convergence requires an explicit null model; without one, ordinary chance convergence can be mistaken for adaptive signal.

How NatureHQ reads it

The most useful methodological record in this set, and applicable well beyond echolocation. A count of matches is not evidence on its own — it has to be compared against how many matches would occur anyway. That is the same reasoning the site applies to behavioural claims, in a genomic setting.

Limitations

  • A re-analysis, dependent on the same underlying alignments and their quality.
  • Showing that a genome-wide excess is not established does not rule out convergence at particular functionally relevant genes.

The experiment, explained

  • Counting matches against chance

    Echolocating bats and dolphins were reported to share convergent substitutions across the genome. Is that more convergence than any two lineages would show anyway?

What this study is used for on NatureHQ

One study can inform several subjects. Here is everywhere this one is cited.

Finding the paper

Published by: University press journalsPublished in a university press journal.

doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msv013

Checked against Crossref on 2026-09-28, and they agree on the title, the authors and the year.

NatureHQ summarises research in its own words and does not reproduce published text. Reviewed 2026-09-03.