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    Macrotaxonomy

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    Janiah Allani
    This document discusses different approaches to macrotaxonomy, or the classification of organisms above the species level. It describes downward and upward classification methods used historically, as well as evolutionary/Darwinian classification based on genealogy and similarity. Current approaches include cladistics, which relies solely on phylogeny, and numerical phenetics, which uses statistical analysis of multiple character states. Both have weaknesses, and an ideal classification balances genealogy with similarity based on homologous and analogous traits.

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    Macrotaxonomy

    Uploaded by

    Janiah Allani
    6K views21 pages
    This document discusses different approaches to macrotaxonomy, or the classification of organisms above the species level. It describes downward and upward classification methods used historically, as well as evolutionary/Darwinian classification based on genealogy and similarity. Current approaches include cladistics, which relies solely on phylogeny, and numerical phenetics, which uses statistical analysis of multiple character states. Both have weaknesses, and an ideal classification balances genealogy with similarity based on homologous and analogous traits.

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    This document discusses different approaches to macrotaxonomy, or the classification of organisms above the species level. It describes downward and upward classification methods used historically, as well as evolutionary/Darwinian classification based on genealogy and similarity. Current approaches include cladistics, which relies solely on phylogeny, and numerical phenetics, which uses statistical analysis of multiple character states. Both have weaknesses, and an ideal classification balances genealogy with similarity based on homologous and analogous traits.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    6K views21 pages

    Macrotaxonomy

    Uploaded by

    Janiah Allani
    This document discusses different approaches to macrotaxonomy, or the classification of organisms above the species level. It describes downward and upward classification methods used historically, as well as evolutionary/Darwinian classification based on genealogy and similarity. Current approaches include cladistics, which relies solely on phylogeny, and numerical phenetics, which uses statistical analysis of multiple character states. Both have weaknesses, and an ideal classification balances genealogy with similarity based on homologous and analogous traits.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 21

    MACROTAXONOMY

    The Classica3on of Species


    Branch of
    taxonomy that
    deals with the
    classica3on of
    organisms above
    the species level.
    Even today, there
    is no consensus
    among
    taxonomists as to
    which is the best
    method of
    classifying.

    Downward Classica3on
    The prevailing method of classica3on during the
    peak of medicinal botany during the Renaissance.
    Proceeds by dividing large classes into subsets
    (Aristotles logical method of division,
    dichotomous system)
    Relied en3rely on single characters
    The series/sequence of characters are arbitrarily
    chosen by the taxonomists controlled by the
    classes produced by dichotomous divisions.

    Upward Classica3on
    From about 1770 (promoted by Linnaeus and
    Adanson)
    Consist of assembling species by inspec3on
    into taxa consis3ng of similar or related
    species.
    Failed to developed rigorous methodology
    (employed arbitrarily)

    Evolu3onary or Darwinian
    Classica3on

    Classica3on should be based on genealogy


    (common descent) and degree of similarity
    (amount of evolu3onary change).

    Monophyle3c
    Each natural taxon consist of the descendants
    of the nearest common ancestors
    Descent not a replacement for the criterion
    similarity but rather a constraint on the kind
    of similarity that is acceptable as evidence of
    rela3onship
    Must be based on balanced considera3on of
    genealogy and similarity.

    Homology
    Feature in two or more taxa is homologous
    when it is derived phylogene3ccaly from the
    same feature of the common ancestor

    Homoplasy
    Convergence independent acquisi3on of the
    same feature by unrelated evolu3onary lineages
    Parallelism is the independent realiza3on of a
    character in two related lineages owing to a
    gene3c predisposi3on even though it was not
    phenotypically expressed in the common
    ancestor.
    Reversal is the independent loss of the same
    advanced character in several linages of a
    phylogeny

    Numerical Phene3cs
    Avoid all subjec3vity and arbitrariness by
    sor3ng species with numerical methods into
    groups agreeing in a large numbers of joint
    characters.
    Believe that descendants of a common
    ancestors will share mul3plicity of characters
    that will automa3cally land a well dened
    taxa.

    Phene3cs: weaknesses
    Cumbersome method requiring analysis of
    very large numbers and failed to weigh
    characters accordingly considering dierent
    taxonomic signicance
    No methodology for ranking taxa
    Fails to consider evolu3onary rates
    Changes depending on characters used
    It cannot be improved gradually

    Cladica3on
    Relies en3rely on genealogy (Willi Hennig
    1950)
    Unques3oned apomorphies (shared derived
    characters) should be recognized while
    ancestral (plesiomorphic) characters should
    be ignored.
    Consist simply of branches of the phylogene3c
    tree without giving any considera3on to
    similarity

    Cladica3on: Weaknesses
    Most clades are heterogeneous
    Either the stem species o`en has tradi3onally been
    included in the ancestral taxon
    The requirement that sister groups should be assigned
    the same taxonomic rank is unrealis3c
    No valid theory of ranking
    Every new synapomorphy in a stem species requires
    the assignment of new categorical ranking
    All nonapomorphic characters are neglected
    Reects one sided rela3onships

    End
    of
    Presenta3on

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