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A/The Brief History of Three‐Taxon Analysis
Author(s) -
Farris James S,
Kluge Arnold G
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
cladistics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.323
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1096-0031
pISSN - 0748-3007
DOI - 10.1111/j.1096-0031.1998.tb00343.x
Subject(s) - occam , taxon , occam's razor , interpretation (philosophy) , phylogenetic tree , character (mathematics) , cover (algebra) , computer science , basis (linear algebra) , mathematics , biology , paleontology , statistics , geometry , mechanical engineering , biochemistry , gene , engineering , programming language
Recent claims by its advocates notwithstanding, three‐taxon analysis (3ta) provides no method for recognizing reversals or for applying them as apomorphies. Accordingly, 3ta could be used as a phylogenetic method only under an assumption of irreversibility. Being a method for calculating trees from character data, 3ta is not connected to any particular rule (“interpretation”) for selecting resolutions of consensus trees considered as abstract diagrams. 3ta cannot be justified simply by invoking a general minimization principle such as Occam's Razor, since that would cover almost any method. Some more specific basis is needed, and consideration of proposed bases for 3ta shows that none is even remotely adequate.