Measurement theory and paleobiology.
Trends Ecol Evol
; 38(12): 1165-1176, 2023 12.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37696719
ABSTRACT
Measurement 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.
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Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Paleontologia
/
Evolução Biológica
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Trends Ecol Evol
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article