Methods of phylogenetic reconstruction and comparative functional morphology
Inuzuka, N.
Kaibogaku Zasshi. Journal of Anatomy 75(2): 189-196
2000
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-7722 PMID: 10824510 Document Number: 524721
Cladistics is most prevalent method of phylogenetic reconstruction in the field of vertebrate paleontology, where it has been useful to overcome the weak points of previous evolutionary taxonomy and numerical phenetics. Its primary aim is to divide characters into two categories, old and new, and to bundle together taxonomic groups by their common derived characters (synapomorphies). In spite of such reasonable goals, the method also has limitations such as the premise for independency and equivalency of characters, deciding character polarity, and ignoring parallelism and convergence, as well as an inconsistency between phylogenetic positions and taxonomical names. It is important to understand the functional significance of the shape in question in order to eliminate mistakes in the quantitative treatment of morphology. Since the functions of various animals can be elucidated by mutual comparison of their morphologies, the author has termed this method "comparative functional morphology". One of the future trends for comparative morphology is a qualitative treatment of biological morphology that is more adapted to life, even in phylogenetic reconstructions.