Taxon combinations, parsimony analysis (Paup*), and the taxonomy of the yellow‐tailed woolly monkey, Lagothrix flavicauda

Bibliographic Data

ID8317202
AuthorsLuke J Matthews (0000-0002-4382-1007, New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, corresponding author), Alfred L Rosenberger (0000-0002-3422-4884, The Graduate Center, CUNY)
Year2008
Volume137
Issue3
Pages245-255
Publication date2008-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.20859
PMID18500746
OpenAlexW2145307140
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited27

The classifications of primates, in general, and platyrrhine primates, in particular, have been greatly revised subsequent to the rationale for taxonomic decisions shifting from one rooted in the biological species concept to one rooted solely in phylogenetic affiliations. Given the phylogenetic justification provided for revised taxonomies, the scientific validity of taxonomic distinctions can be rightly judged by the robusticity of the phylogenetic results supporting them. In this study, we empirically investigated taxonomic‐sampling effects on a cladogram previously inferred from craniodental data for the woolly monkeys ( Lagothrix ). We conducted the study primarily through much greater sampling of species‐level taxa (OTUs) after improving some character codings and under a variety of outgroup choices. The results indicate that alternative selections of species subsets from within genera produce various tree topologies. These results stand even after adjusting the character set and considering the potential role of interobserver disagreement. We conclude that specific taxon combinations, in this case, generic or species pairings, of the primary study group has a biasing effect in parsimony analysis, and that the cladistic rationale for resurrecting the Oreonax generic distinction for the yellow‐tailed woolly monkey ( Lagothrix flavicauda ) is based on an artifact of idiosyncratic sampling within the study group below the genus level. Some recommendations to minimize the problem, which is prevalent in all cladistic analyses, are proposed. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc

Biology · Cladistics · Cladogram · Evolutionary biology · Phylogenetic tree · Taxon · Taxonomy (biology) · Zoology · Amphibian and Reptile Biology · Ecology · Evolution and Paleontology Studies · Primate Behavior and Ecology

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