Time Tree

[CDarwin]

If anyone hasn't come across this yet, nifty new website!

http://www.timetree.org/

 

The description from Dechronization:

 

By inputing the names of two taxa of interest users can obtain a comprehensive list of molecular-clock based age estimates for the node connecting these taxa, including information on the data underlying these age estimates and references to original source material in the primary literature.

 

It has all the caveats of molecular dating, but, still, neat resource and fun to play with.

[Mokele]

Nifty, though of course there's some gaps for species that are under-examined or haven't been examined.

[dichotomy]

I put it to a test with these -

Thylacine (tasmanian wolf) and Macropodidae (kangaroo) 50 mya

Thylacine and Canis Lupus (wolf) 154 mya

 

I arrogantly thought I could trip it over with one try….

 

A great tool! Is there a link to other group of specialized science calculators like this one?

 

Thanks for this link CDawin!

Edited August 9, 2009 by dichotomy

[Mokele]

I dunno, you may well have tripped it up, since the latter date predates the fossil record of their divergence by almost 30 million years.

 

Honestly, they should have a warning for mammals, since there's very good evidence that the molecular clock changed speed at the KT boundary.

[CharonY]

Well this is (IIRC) only a database of available (published) info which was put in by a host of student workers. As such interpretation is basically entirely upon the user.

[dichotomy]

Well this is (IIRC) only a database of available (published) info which was put in by a host of student workers. As such interpretation is basically entirely upon the user.

 

So, it's a work in progress? Or, should be used in conjunction with the most reliable up to date data available?

 

I really didn't think I tripped it up. What I was hoping for was less of a divergence between wolf and tassie wolf, than from kangaroo and tassie wolf.

[CharonY]

Depends on what you mean. They are still maintaining and updating the database. But again, it just reiterates findings from literature and gives averages for the closest published distances. Basically you cannot trip anything as they simply reiterate published findings closest to your query.