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Science 13 June 2003:
Vol. 300. no. 5626, pp. 1698 - 1700
DOI: 10.1126/science.1077795
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Dating the Tree of Life

Michael J. Benton1* and Francisco J. Ayala2

The relative merits of molecular and paleontological dates of major branching points in the tree of life are currently debated. In some cases, molecular date estimates are up to twice as old as paleontological dates. However, although it is true that paleontological dates are often too young (missing fossils), molecular dates are often too old (statistical bias). Intense study of the dating of major splits in the tree of mammals has shown rapprochement as fossil dates become older and molecular dates become younger.

1 Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK.
2 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697–2525, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Mike.Benton{at}bris.ac.uk

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