Taxonomy is more than a mere exercise of nomenclature and classification of biological diversity: it profiles the identity of species by investigating their biological and ecological traits. Taxonomy is intimately related to ecology which, in turn, cannot be a mere exercise in describing ecological patterns, but instead requires deep knowledge of species’ biological structures, roles, interactions and functions. Thus, the study of taxonomic and phylogenetic relatedness of species is of paramount importance in ecological research, enabling insights into potential evolutionary patterns and processes, allowing a more comprehensive view of biodiversity, and providing opportunities to improve the assessment and monitoring of ecological changes in time and space. The work of K. Robert (‘Bob’) Clarke forged new pathways in this direction, providing new ideas and statistical tools to include and exploit taxonomic relationships in applied marine ecological studies and beyond, also inspiring the next generation of ecologists. In this short review, we synthesise the application and development of these tools and concepts in marine biodiversity research over the last three decades and suggest future pathways in this evolving field.

中文翻译：

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物种间分类关系在应用生态研究中的应用：基线、进展和未来挑战

分类学不仅仅是生物多样性的命名和分类练习：它通过调查物种的生物和生态特征来描述物种的身份。分类学与生态学密切相关，而生态学又不能仅仅是描述生态模式的练习，而是需要深入了解物种的生物结构、作用、相互作用和功能。因此，物种的分类学和系统发育相关性研究在生态研究中至关重要，有助于深入了解潜在的进化模式和过程，更全面地了解生物多样性，并为及时改进生态变化的评估和监测提供机会。和空间。K. Robert ('Bob') Clarke 的工作在这个方向开辟了新的途径，提供新的想法和统计工具，以在应用海洋生态研究及其他领域包括和利用分类关系，同时也激励下一代生态学家。在这篇简短的评论中，我们综合了这些工具和概念在过去三年中在海洋生物多样性研究中的应用和发展，并提出了这一不断发展领域的未来途径。