Autapomorphy

[David Orlovich]

yes, I would say an autapomorphy can apply to any rank, but it can only
change on an external branch of a tree, not an internal one.  Cheers,
David.

On 16/09/2004, at 9:28 AM, Vernie Sagun wrote:

> Dear Sir,
> So you mean that autapomorphy is not restricted to species
> and thus could be applied to any rank? or in any node in a
> tree?
>
> Many thanks,
> Vernie Sagun
>
> ---- Original message ----
>> Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 08:59:49 +1200
>> From: David Orlovich <david.orlovich at BOTANY.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
>> Subject: Re: [TAXACOM] Autapomorphy
>> To: TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU
>>
>> I guess if the terminal taxa were say, families, then
> autapomorphies
>> for each terminal taxon could be a synaopmorphy for members
> of that
>> family if they were themselves included as OTUs on another
> tree.
>>
>> David.
>>
>> On 16/09/2004, at 8:42 AM, Vernie Sagun wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Taxacomers,
>>> I would like to ask about the term "autapomorphy", as I
>>> understand this is a character state present in a taxon
> that
>>> is not present in other taxa and is therefore
>>> phylogenetically uniformative.  Autapomorphies are very
>>> useful in creating keys and not useful in resolving
>>> phylogeny.  But I have heard other views that say this is a
>>> relative term, that clades could have a character state
> that
>>> is "autapomorphic" for that clade, in the case of broader
>>> (highly speciose or in ordinal level) phylogenies.  I
> believe
>>> this is a misuse of the term since that "autapomorphic"
>>> character state for that clade, is more appropriate to be
>>> called a "synapomorphy".  The term autapomorphy can never
> be
>>> realtive.  Can you help me clarify this?
>>>
>>> Many thanks,
>>> Vernie Sagun
>>>
>>> *******************************
>>> VERNIE G. SAGUN
>>> Center for Biodiversity
>>> Illinois Natural History Survey
>>> 607 E. Peabody Dr.,
>>> Champaign, IL 61820-6970
>>> U.S.A.
>>> Tel: (217)244 9220
>>> Fax: (217)244 0729
>>> email: sagun at uiuc.edu
>>> *******************************
>>>
>> Dr David Orlovich,
>> Senior Lecturer in Botany.
>>
>> Department of Botany,
>> University of Otago,
>> P.O. Box 56,
>> (Courier: 464 Great King Street)
>> Dunedin,
>> New Zealand.
>>
>> Phone: (03) 479 9060
>> Fax: (03) 479 7583
>>
>> Web: http://www.botany.otago.ac.nz/
>>
>> Ecology, Conservation and Biodiversity Research Group:
>> http://www.otago.ac.nz/erg/
>>
>> Botanical Society of Otago:
> http://www.botany.otago.ac.nz/bso/
> *******************************
> VERNIE G. SAGUN
> Center for Biodiversity
> Illinois Natural History Survey
> 607 E. Peabody Dr.,
> Champaign, IL 61820-6970
> U.S.A.
> Tel: (217)244 9220
> Fax: (217)244 0729
> email: sagun at uiuc.edu
> *******************************
>
Dr David Orlovich,
Senior Lecturer in Botany.

Department of Botany,
University of Otago,
P.O. Box 56,
(Courier: 464 Great King Street)
Dunedin,
New Zealand.

Phone: (03) 479 9060
Fax: (03) 479 7583

Web: http://www.botany.otago.ac.nz/

Ecology, Conservation and Biodiversity Research Group:
http://www.otago.ac.nz/erg/

Botanical Society of Otago: http://www.botany.otago.ac.nz/bso/