Statistical errors undermine claims about the evolution of polysynthetic languages - a comment on Bromham, Yaxley, Wilson, and Hua (2025)

2025/07/09 by Alexander Koplenig, Sascha Wolfer · 1 voice
Computer Science · #Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization #Semantic Web and Ontologies

paper · pdf · doi:10.31219/osf.io/g72hw_v1

openalex created_date 2025/07/09 · openalex publication_date 2025/07/09 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/14

Abstract

We identify major flaws in the statistical analysis of Bromham et al. (2025), whose claims about polysynthesis and phylogenetic isolation rely on incorrect implementations of Bayesian model averaging and spatial filtering. Reanalysis using appropriate methods shows that key predictors lose statistical support.

Discussions

• New #preprint by Alex Koplenig and me: "Statistical errors undermine claims about the evolution of polysynthetic languages". (doi.org/10.31219/osf...) This is a comment on Bromham et al. (2025): "Mac [bsky, 1 points, 1 comments]

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