Cladistic hypotheses

[Edwards, G.B.]

This is basically a semantic problem, but I tend to agree with the
reviewer.  A cladogram is produced by an algorithm which analyses
observational data which is input to it and produces the most
parsimonious solution it can find, i.e., it's a computer program which
gives you a solution from the data you give to it.  Interpretation of
the solution is up to the observer, including any hypotheses made based
on the solution.  So I agree with Barry, and to lesser extent with Karl,
although I think you have to make too many assumptions to consider a
cladogram to be a hypothesis per se.  Neither data, nor data analysis,
is a hypothesis.

-- 
G. B. Edwards, Ph.D.  [Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman] 
-- 
Curator: Arachnida (except Acari), Myriapoda, Terrestrial Crustacea,
Thysanoptera 
Florida State Collection of Arthropods, FDACS, Division of Plant
Industry 
P.O.Box 147100, 1911 SW 34th St., Gainesville, FL 32614-7100 USA 
(352) 372-3505 x194; fax (352) 334-0737; edwardg at doacs.state.fl.us 
http://www.fsca.entomology.museum/Arachnida/ArachnidaFrame.htm 
-- 
Board of Directors and Past President, Center for Systematic Entomology:
http://www.centerforsystematicentomology.org
Editor, Peckhamia; Membership Secretary, Peckham Society
Co-Coordinator, Florida Arthropod and Arthropod Pathogen Introduction
Committee 
Courtesy Professor, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University
of Florida
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Taxacom Discussion List [mailto:TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU] On
Behalf Of Karl Magnacca
Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2005 11:51 AM
To: TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU
Subject: Re: [TAXACOM] Cladistic hypotheses

On 23 Nov 2005 at 17:10, Matt Buys wrote:
> I just got a reviewers report on a manuscript where he/she says that
> the word hypothesise as in the example below is misused: "The
cladistic
> analysis hypothesises the presence of spotted and unspotted leaves as
> having developed mainly in parallel in X, Y and X."
>
> According to the reviewer, "An analysis may show some result but it
> does not per se hypothesise anything. The authors are free to
> hypothesise what they think fit from the results of an analysis."
>
> 1. Is'nt a cladogram a hypothesis of relationships AND of character
state distributions?

It *is* a hypothesis, it does not hypothesize anything.  It supports the
author(s)'s hypothesis of parallel development.  The author is the one
doing the hypothesizing (in a technical sense, anyway).

Karl
=====================
Karl Magnacca, USGS-BRD
PO Box 11, Hawaii Natl. Park, HI 96718
"Democracy used to be a good thing, but now it has
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