Homology and Systematics: Coding Characters for Phylogenetic Analysis (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780748409204)

Systematists, comparative biologists, taxonomists and evolutionary biologists all concern themselves with the evolutionary relationships between animals and plants. Homology is the principle underlying these disciplines. When looking at groups of organisms, shared positional similarities (homologues) provide the raw data from which hypotheses of common ancestry (homology) may be suggested. In order to explore the relationship between homologues (characters) and particular hypotheses of common ancestry, complex matrices are devised, where homologues are coded, allowing theories of homology to be developed and tested. Practically nothing has been written about this matrix-building process and yet it is of fundamental importance to our understanding of diversity and evolutionary history. This book fills the gap by discussing the different ways observations are coded and the consequences for the resulting hypotheses. It takes a pragmatic approach and uses case studies as well as theoretical examples to offer practical solutions.

Author: Robert Scotland
ISBN-10: 0748409203
ISBN-13: 9780748409204
Publisher: CRC Press
Language: English
Published: 02/24/2000
Pages: 226
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.40lbs
Size: 9.98h x 7.08w x 0.77d

Review Citation(s):
Scitech Book News 06/01/2000 pg. 52