Comparative ecology uses interspecific relationships among traits, while accounting for the
phylogenetic non-independence of species, to uncover general evolutionary processes.
Applied to biogeographic questions, it can be a powerful tool to explain the spatial
distribution of organisms. Here, we review how comparative methods can elucidate
biogeographic patterns and processes, using analyses of distributional data on parasites
(fleas and helminths) as case studies. Methods exist to detect phylogenetic signals, ie the …