Randset

[Richard Zander]

A MS-DOS random data set generator (RANDSET.ZIP) is now available at
http://www.buffalomuseumofscience.org/div_botany.html
for those of you interested in apparent order emerging from nonsense.

Here is the actual blurb:

This is an MS DOS executable program for evolutionary scientists (and other curious people) that generates random data files for phylogenetic analysis, suitable for sampling studies. The pseudorandom generator is seeded by timing data from your computer clock. Choose any numbers from 0 (or 1) up to 9 for character states, and up to 3267 OTU's and 3267 characters. For a molecular data set, change 4 character state numbers to A, C, G, T. 

It is interesting that parsimony-based cladograms based on large random data sets are almost always very well resolved, and can have very large Bremer support in some internal branches, but there is seldom large bootstrap support. I wonder if a parsimony-based "alignment" of the data (when expressed as nucleotides), making it less random, will increase bootstrap support . . . . ? If so, by how much? 

R.



   
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From: 
Richard H. Zander

Curator of Botany, Clinton Herbarium
FNA Editorial Center at Buffalo

The Buffalo Museum of Science
1020 Humboldt Pkwy
Buffalo, NY 14211 USA

email: rzander at sciencebuff.org    voice: 716-896-5200 x 351   FAX: 716-897-6723
home: http://www.buffalomuseumofscience.org/div_botany.html
BFNA home: http://www.nybg.org/bsci/bfna/bfnamenu.html   
FNA home: http://hua.huh.harvard.edu/FNA/
 
See ANTS as BIG as Your UNCLES!!
BACKYARD MONSTERS 2: The World of Insects
Buffalo Museum of Science
May 26 through September 2, 2001