Re: BRYONET: local endemics

BRYONET

Hi John,

I think I can put my finger on one misunderstanding, based on this and
Ken's recent note. This entire discussion thread has nothing
whatsoever to do with molecular data versus morphological data. It
has to do with how to analyze data and reflect it in classifications.

No one should confuse "phylogenetic" with "genetic". Cladistics (aka
phylogenetics) is a set of methods for evaluating data (any kind of
data) and reflecting the relationships in classification. It can and
has been applied perfectly well to purely morphological data. DNA is
just a type of data -- it can be evaluated phylogenetically, but
almost as often unfortunately is evaluated phenetically (using
distance methods). The best analyses combine all sources of data,
using phylogenetic methods.

Best,

Brent

**********************************************************
Brent D. Mishler
Professor, Department of Integrative Biology
Director, University and Jepson Herbaria
Mailing address:
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
UNIVERSITY AND JEPSON HERBARIA
1001 VALLEY LIFE SCIENCES BLDG # 2465
BERKELEY, CA 94720-2465 USA
Phone: (510) 642-6810
FAX: (510) 643-5390
E-mail: bmishler@calmail.berkeley.edu
WWW: http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/people/mishler.html
**********************************************************

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