Aves vs. Avepectora (was: sensu lato)

[Richard Zander]

The same data can give different phylogenies. With the same data set, you
can get (AB)C supported by 3 advanced characters, (AC)B supported by 2
advanced characters, and (BC)A supported by 2 advanced characters. We then
have 3 phylogenies with nearly the same support. Do "all scientists choose
the simplest explanation," in this case? Or do we have what is essentially a
tie? At what point would we have sufficient reliability that a clade might
actually be named (without people laughing)?

_______________________
Richard H. Zander
Missouri Botanical Garden
PO Box 299
St. Louis, MO 63166-0299
Email: richard.zander at mobot.org

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Curtis Clark [SMTP:jcclark at CSUPOMONA.EDU]
> Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2002 9:22 PM
> To:   TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG
> Subject:      Re: [TAXACOM] Aves vs. Avepectora (was: sensu lato)
>
> At 08:26 2002.10.24, Ken Kinman wrote:
> >      The idea behind PhyloCode is to establish a new authoritarianism,
> so
> >that all taxa (incl. Ornithurae) have only one (strictly phylogenetic)
> >meaning:  Ornithurae "sensu PhyloCode Central Headquarters".
>
> All other issues concerning Phylocode aside, this is patently false. As
> you
> yourself have so often pointed out, different data can give different
> phylogenies, and each of these would be a different "sensu" of a Phylocode
> taxon.
>
>
> --
> Curtis Clark                  http://www.csupomona.edu/~jcclark/
> Biological Sciences Department            Voice: +1 909 869 4062
> California State Polytechnic University     FAX: +1 909 869 4078
> Pomona CA 91768-4032  USA                  jcclark at csupomona.edu