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A. Townsend Peterson

Bio: A. Townsend Peterson is an academic researcher from University of Kansas. The author has contributed to research in topics: Environmental niche modelling & Ecological niche. The author has an hindex of 91, co-authored 521 publications receiving 51524 citations. Previous affiliations of A. Townsend Peterson include California Academy of Sciences & University of Chicago.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A taxonomic list using modern nomenclature, an analysis of the correspondence between the paintings and the manuscripts, and conclusions regarding the provenance of those materials are proposed.
Abstract: Until recently, a major gap has existed in our knowledge regarding Mexican bird information from the Real Expedicion Botanica a Nueva Espana in the late 1700s. This expedition (1787–1803) was commanded by Martin de Sesse; the Mexican scientist Jose Mariano Mocino joined the group in 1790, but his ornithological findings were never published and have long been considered lost. However, study of the Sesse-Mocino ornithological results began in 1979 with the appearance of a small collection of original paintings, apparently from the expedition. Later, in 1997, unpublished manuscripts were discovered in the library of the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid that included descriptions of many bird species, again apparently Sesse-Mocino material. These discoveries, covering an important portion of the overall ornithological results of the expedition, make possible a broader study of the Sesse-Mocino ornithology: a taxonomic list using modern nomenclature, an analysis of the correspondence betw...

10 citations

Posted ContentDOI
16 Feb 2018-bioRxiv
TL;DR: A study recently published argued against a relationship between population density and position in geographic and environmental spaces is argued against, but a number of methodological problems underlying the analysis are found.
Abstract: A study recently published argued against a relationship between population density and position in geographic and environmental spaces. We found a number of methodological problems underlying the analysis. We discuss the main issues and conclude that these problems hinder a robust conclusion about the original question.

10 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, recent developments in modeling marine intrusion over complex coastal landscapes are integrated with an adaptation of ecological niche modeling for estimating "niches" of natural systems to anticipate sea level rise effects on them in an appropriate biological framework.
Abstract: Climate change is affecting world systems in many ways, of which one important dimension is sea level rise. This implication, however, has not heretofore been incorporated powerfully in analyses of biodiversity consequences of climate change, for lack of effective means of (1) modeling the degree and extent of marine intrusion into terrestrial habitats, and (2) anticipating dispersal-mediated shifts in natural systems (species, ecosystems, etc.). In this paper, recent developments in modeling marine intrusion over complex coastal landscapes are integrated with an adaptation of ecological niche modeling for estimating ‘niches’ of natural systems to anticipate sea level rise effects on them in an appropriate biological framework. This novel series of steps is illustrated with a worked example of wetlands systems and associated species and communities along the coast of North Carolina, but the methodology is novel for anticipating sea level rise-mediated shifts in vegetation types in many coastal systems.

10 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report 35 bird species previously undocumented in Ayacucho, six of which represent range extensions, including records of the endemic Black-spectacled Brush-Finch (Atlapetes melanopsis), Marcapata Spinetail (Cranioleuca marcapatae), Chestnut-breasted mountain-finch (Poospiza caesar); the remaining records filled perceived range gaps.
Abstract: The sliver of humid tropical and montane forest on the east slope of the Andes in Ayacucho Department ranks among the least surveyed sectors of the Peruvian Andes. This mountainous region, along with adjacent Apurimac Department and western Cuzco Department, comprise the Apurimac River Valley, a putative biogeographic barrier. Hence, understanding avian distributions in the vicinity of the Apurimac River Valley is fundamental to understanding faunal turnover across it. Here, we report results of recent avifaunal surveys (2008–2012) from five sites in the Apurimac Valley region. We report 35 bird species previously undocumented in Ayacucho, six of which represent range extensions, including records of the endemic Black-spectacled Brush-Finch (Atlapetes melanopsis), Marcapata Spinetail (Cranioleuca marcapatae), and Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch (Poospiza caesar); the remaining records filled perceived range gaps. Specimen evidence suggests little phenotypic introgression between differentiated f...

9 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The appropriateness of their use of IUCN extentof-occurrence maps as a starting point; problems with the assumptions their method requires; and the perils of developing such analyses at overly fine spatial resolutions are commented on.
Abstract: With colleagues, I critiqued reductive, polygon-based methods for estimating species’ geographic ranges (Peterson et al. 2016). This approach was used in numerous on-the-ground conservation-planning exercises (see, e.g., Ocampo-Peñuela et al. [2016] and references therein), and I appreciate the authors’ desire for practicality and agree that identification of potential habitat based on remotely sensed data may improve local-scale planning and decision making. However, I am concerned about the robustness of their mapping approaches in finescale applications to conservation planning. My colleagues and I presented a case study (Blackthroated Jay [Cyanolyca pumilo]) that we explicitly described as “a partial, preliminary example” (Peterson et al. 2016). Pimm et al. (2017) correctly point out that our occurrence data could have been vetted more carefully and model predictions explored in greater detail. A fully developed model, however, was not our goal. Rather, we wished to present an example of a data-driven approach as a counterpoint to their assumption-driven approaches. Unfortunately, in their rebuttal, Pimm et al. (2017) focused entirely on the example rather than on our general points. I therefore comment on 3 general points: the appropriateness of their use of IUCN extentof-occurrence maps as a starting point; problems with the assumptions their method requires; and the perils of developing such analyses at overly fine spatial resolutions.

9 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Preface to the Princeton Landmarks in Biology Edition vii Preface xi Symbols used xiii 1.
Abstract: Preface to the Princeton Landmarks in Biology Edition vii Preface xi Symbols Used xiii 1. The Importance of Islands 3 2. Area and Number of Speicies 8 3. Further Explanations of the Area-Diversity Pattern 19 4. The Strategy of Colonization 68 5. Invasibility and the Variable Niche 94 6. Stepping Stones and Biotic Exchange 123 7. Evolutionary Changes Following Colonization 145 8. Prospect 181 Glossary 185 References 193 Index 201

14,171 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the use of the maximum entropy method (Maxent) for modeling species geographic distributions with presence-only data was introduced, which is a general-purpose machine learning method with a simple and precise mathematical formulation.

13,120 citations

Journal Article
Fumio Tajima1
30 Oct 1989-Genomics
TL;DR: It is suggested that the natural selection against large insertion/deletion is so weak that a large amount of variation is maintained in a population.

11,521 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Bayesian Evolutionary Analysis by Sampling Trees (BEAST) software package version 1.7 is presented, which implements a family of Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms for Bayesian phylogenetic inference, divergence time dating, coalescent analysis, phylogeography and related molecular evolutionary analyses.
Abstract: Computational evolutionary biology, statistical phylogenetics and coalescent-based population genetics are becoming increasingly central to the analysis and understanding of molecular sequence data. We present the Bayesian Evolutionary Analysis by Sampling Trees (BEAST) software package version 1.7, which implements a family of Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms for Bayesian phylogenetic inference, divergence time dating, coalescent analysis, phylogeography and related molecular evolutionary analyses. This package includes an enhanced graphical user interface program called Bayesian Evolutionary Analysis Utility (BEAUti) that enables access to advanced models for molecular sequence and phenotypic trait evolution that were previously available to developers only. The package also provides new tools for visualizing and summarizing multispecies coalescent and phylogeographic analyses. BEAUti and BEAST 1.7 are open source under the GNU lesser general public license and available at http://beast-mcmc.googlecode.com and http://beast.bio.ed.ac.uk

9,055 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Range-restricted species, particularly polar and mountaintop species, show severe range contractions and have been the first groups in which entire species have gone extinct due to recent climate change.
Abstract: Ecological changes in the phenology and distribution of plants and animals are occurring in all well-studied marine, freshwater, and terrestrial groups These observed changes are heavily biased in the directions predicted from global warming and have been linked to local or regional climate change through correlations between climate and biological variation, field and laboratory experiments, and physiological research Range-restricted species, particularly polar and mountaintop species, show severe range contractions and have been the first groups in which entire species have gone extinct due to recent climate change Tropical coral reefs and amphibians have been most negatively affected Predator-prey and plant-insect interactions have been disrupted when interacting species have responded differently to warming Evolutionary adaptations to warmer conditions have occurred in the interiors of species’ ranges, and resource use and dispersal have evolved rapidly at expanding range margins Observed genetic shifts modulate local effects of climate change, but there is little evidence that they will mitigate negative effects at the species level

7,657 citations