Editing Convergent evolution (section)

=== Pattern-based measures ===

Earlier methods for measuring convergence incorporate ratios of phenotypic and [[phylogenetic]] distance by simulating evolution with a [[Brownian motion]] model of trait evolution along a phylogeny.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Stayton |first=C. Tristan|title=Is convergence surprising? An examination of the frequency of convergence in simulated datasets |journal=Journal of Theoretical Biology |volume=252 |issue=1 |pages=1–14 |doi=10.1016/j.jtbi.2008.01.008 |pmid=18321532|year=2008|bibcode=2008JThBi.252....1S}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Muschick |first1=Moritz |last2=Indermaur |first2=Adrian |last3=Salzburger |first3=Walter |title=Convergent Evolution within an Adaptive Radiation of Cichlid Fishes |journal=Current Biology |volume=22 |issue=24 |pages=2362–2368 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2012.10.048 |pmid=23159601 |year=2012|doi-access=free |bibcode=2012CBio...22.2362M }}</ref> More recent methods also quantify the strength of convergence.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Arbuckle |first1=Kevin |last2=Bennett |first2=Cheryl M. |last3=Speed |first3=Michael P. |date=July 2014 |title=A simple measure of the strength of convergent evolution |journal=Methods in Ecology and Evolution |volume=5 |issue=7 |pages=685–693 |doi=10.1111/2041-210X.12195|bibcode=2014MEcEv...5..685A |doi-access=free }}</ref> One drawback to keep in mind is that these methods can confuse long-term stasis with convergence due to phenotypic similarities. Stasis occurs when there is little evolutionary change among taxa.<ref name="Stayton2" />

Distance-based measures assess the degree of similarity between lineages over time. Frequency-based measures assess the number of lineages that have evolved in a particular trait space.<ref name="Stayton2" />