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Is the replication crisis a problem for biologists? A geometric morphometric approach.

View ORCID ProfileJuan Vrdoljak, View ORCID ProfileKevin Imanol Sanchez, Roberto Arreola-Ramos, Emilce Guadalupe Diaz Huesa, Alejandro Villagra, Luciano Javier Avila, Mariana Morando
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/862052
Juan Vrdoljak
CONICET CENPAT;
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  • For correspondence: juan.vrdoljak@gmail.com
Kevin Imanol Sanchez
CONICET CENPAT;
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  • For correspondence: kevinischz@gmail.com
Roberto Arreola-Ramos
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  • For correspondence: rarreola@cenpat-conicet.gob.ar
Emilce Guadalupe Diaz Huesa
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  • For correspondence: emigdh@gmail.com
Alejandro Villagra
Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco - Sede Puerto Madryn
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  • For correspondence: luis_v1509@hotmail.com
Luciano Javier Avila
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  • For correspondence: avila@cenpat-conicet.gob.ar
Mariana Morando
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  • For correspondence: morando@cenpat-conicet.gob.ar
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Abstract

Replicability of findings is the key factor of scientific reliability. However, literature on this topic is scarce and apparently taboo for large scientific areas. Some authors named the failure to reproduce scientific findings ‘replication crisis’. Geometric morphometrics, a vastly used technique, is especially silent on replication crisis concern. Nevertheless, some works pointed out that sharing morphogeometric information is not a trivial fact, but need to be careful and meticulous. Here, we investigated the replicability of geometric morphometrics protocols on complex shapes and measurement error extension in three different types of taxa, as well as the potentiality of these protocols to discriminate among closely related species. We found a wide range of replication error that contributed from 19.5% to 60% of the total variation. Although, measurement error decreased with the complexity of the quantified shape, it often maintained high values. All protocols were able to discriminate between species, but more morphogeometric information does not imply better performance. We present evidence of replication crisis in life sciences and highlight the need to explore in deep different sources of variation that could lead to low replicability findings. Lastly, we enunciate some recommendations in order to improve the replicability and reliability of scientific findings.

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The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.
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Posted December 02, 2019.
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Is the replication crisis a problem for biologists? A geometric morphometric approach.
Juan Vrdoljak, Kevin Imanol Sanchez, Roberto Arreola-Ramos, Emilce Guadalupe Diaz Huesa, Alejandro Villagra, Luciano Javier Avila, Mariana Morando
bioRxiv 862052; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/862052
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Is the replication crisis a problem for biologists? A geometric morphometric approach.
Juan Vrdoljak, Kevin Imanol Sanchez, Roberto Arreola-Ramos, Emilce Guadalupe Diaz Huesa, Alejandro Villagra, Luciano Javier Avila, Mariana Morando
bioRxiv 862052; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/862052

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