Measurement theory and paleobiology

Trends Ecol Evol. 2023 Sep 9:S0169-5347(23)00216-1. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.08.005. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTMeasurement theory, a branch of applied mathematics, offers guiding principles for extracting meaning from empirical observations and is applicable to any science involving measurements. Measurement theory is highly relevant in paleobiology because statistical approaches assuming ratio-scaled variables are commonly used on data belonging to nominal and ordinal scale types. We provide an informal introduction to representational measurement theory and argue for its importance in robust scientific inquiry. Although measurement theory is widely applicable in paleobiology research, we use the study of disparity to illustrate measurement theoretical challenges in the quantitative study of the fossil record. Respecting the inherent properties of different measurements enables meaningful inferences about evolutionary and ecological processes from paleontological data.PMID:37696719 | DOI:10.1016/j.tree.2023.08.005

Source: Trends in Ecology and Evolution - September 11, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Kjetil Lysne Voje James G Saulsbury Jostein Starrfelt Daniel Varaj ão Latorre Alexis Rojas Vilde Bruhn Kinneberg Lee Hsiang Liow Connor J Wilson Erin E Saupe Mark Grabowski Source Type: research