Two Requirements for Obtaining Valid Common Patterns under Different Assumptions in Vicariance Biogeography

In vicariance biogeography, widespread or sympatric taxa can be dealt with under assumptions 0, 1 and 2. Data from cladogenetic relationships among taxa of a monophyletic group and their distribution over areas are assumed, in the order 0 → 1 → 2, to represent decreasing information about vicariance events. A less strict assumption carries a larger solution set, i.e. the number of possible area cladograms increases with the decrease in strictness of the assumption applied. We formulate two requirements for obtaining valid general area cladograms from data of several monophyletic groups of taxa. First, the assumptions, and with them the sets of area cladograms derived under these assumptions, should be inclusive. Second, sets of single group area cladograms should be compared for different monophyletic groups under a single assumption. When these two requirements are met, area cladograms become consistent with respect to the processes (vicariance, extinction, and dispersal) that are a priori assumed. The explanatory power increases for any particular monophyletic group of taxa when the set of valid general area cladograms contains a subset of area cladograms derived under a more strict assumption. We discuss examples from literature of how violation of these two requirements affects the results.