| Citation | Paul Harvey is the leading authority on the application of the comparative method to evolutionary biology. The method, which offers a way to synthesise the rapidly expanding data base in biology, has been in constant use since Darwin's day but, until the last decade, it has lacked a rigorous basis. Harvey is among the leaders of the small group of people who have transformed the comparative method so that it now rests on logical foundations, rooted in evolutionary theory and rigorous statistical practice. As he has developed the method, he has also been its principal practitioner, applying it to solve problems in comparative morphology, anatomy, behaviour and ecology. His most recent work has used the structure of phylogenetic trees devised from molecular data to shed new light on questions about the tempo and mode of evolution. Other recent work has demonstrated new processes underlying the structure of ecological communities. |