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Table 2 Comparison of BEAST dating results employing a relaxed-clock approach with combined tip (interior) and root (exterior) calibration

From: A range-wide synthesis and timeline for phylogeographic events in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Scenario

Root height prior (min.) [ka]

Median posterior substitution rate

[per site and 106 years]

Divergence time estimates [ka]

Red / arctic fox

Red fox diversification

Nearctic lineage

North America, eastern lineage

North America, widespread lineage

North America, mountain lineage

Japan, Honshu / Kyushu

Japan, Hokkaido II

Scenario 1

1750

33.2%

1,894 (1,750–2,412)

173 (92–316)

68 (39–93)a

42 (18–82)a

42 (18–82)a

52 (20–104)

24 (9–52)a

27 (11–60)a

Scenario 2

5100

25.6%

5,325 (5,100–5,847)

235 (118–423)

128 (73–206)a

57 (23–121)a

73 (28–164)

57 (23–121)a

64 (46–94)a

45 (22–69)a

Scenario 3

500

41.9%

586 (500–874)

129 (78–208)

61 (30–92)a

32 (13–61)a

32 (13–61)a

39 (14–74)

21 (8–51)a

32 (13–64)a

  1. All three scenarios were using the same tip dates, but varying root heights as exterior calibration points (red/arctic fox divergence time estimate). Scenario 1: uniform prior for root height of 1.75-4 million years (My) according to the 95% credibility interval in Perini et al. [80] (Figure 2). Scenario 2: uniform prior for the root height of 5.1-6 My according to the 95% credibility interval in Nyakatura and Bininda-Emonds [81]. Scenario 3: lognormal root height prior based on the first appearance of the red fox in the fossil record (0.5-1 My ago) [30, 31], setting the minimum age of the root height to 0.5 My. The 95% interval of the lognormal prior included a period of up to 5.9 My.
  2. aLess than 95% posterior support for the divergence from the next most closely related sequence, but at least 95% support for the most basal divergence within the lineage. Note also that, despite uncertainty regarding the phylogenetic placement of these groups, their inferred age was relatively similar across calibration scenarios.
  3. ka thousand years.