Parsimony analysis as a specific kind of homology estimation and the implications for character weighting.
"Remane-Hennigian systematists" still reject parsimony analysis for phylogenetics, because homology or apomorphy analyses are not included. In contrast, "pattern cladists" regard homology as a deductive concept after applying a parsimony test of character congruence. However, as in molecular phylogeny, selection of "good" characters is always done on the basis of an a priori homology analysis. The distribution criterion of homology-"homologous characters have identical or hierarchical distribution"-is the basis of parsimony analysis. Because this criterion also might fail in cases of genealogical reticulation or concerted homoplasy, character congruence is not a strict test but another probabilistic criterion of homology. A synthetic approach is proposed for phenotypic analysis with application of a priori criteria of homology. The resulting a priori probabilities of homology serve as criteria for selection and weighting of characters (very low = not selected/poor/mediocre/good/Dollo characters). After application of a parsimony algorithm the final cladogram decides homology estimations.
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Zoologische Staatssammlung, Münchhausenstrasse 21, Munich, D-81247, Germany.
D000465:Algorithms; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D008954:Models, Biological; D008957:Models, Genetic; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010802:Phylogeny