Limits of Bayesian skyline plot analysis of mtDNA sequences to infer historical demographies in Pacific herring (and other species)

► Critique of Bayesian skyline plots to time population events. ► Signatures of population growth are mis-timed by phylogenetic substitution rate. ► Historical signals are erased by population declines during the Last Glacial Maximum. ► Evaluation of the Pacific herring biogeographic hypotheses of J.-X. Liu et al. (2011).