Model simplification in lme Pinheiro and Bates suggest that model simplification of fixed effects in lme with anova (model,model2) is anticonservative. What is the best way to simplify a model in lme? Testing the p value for each fixed factor with anova (model, type="marginal") and removing it if it is not significant? I know this in not a valid approach in lm but I am not sure about lme. Thanks to Kingsford for pointing out the section in Pinheiro and Bates about model simplification. Thanks, Mel -- Menelaos Stavrinides Ph.D. Candidate Environmental Science, Policy and Management 137 Mulford Hall MC #3114 University of California Berkeley, CA 94720-3114 USA Tel: 510 717 5249 [[alternative HTML version deleted]]