Skip to main content

The Information Content of Consensus Trees

  • Conference paper
Advances in Data Science and Classification

Abstract

Phylogenetic Information Content, a class of measures of the information provided by consensus trees based on the number of permitted resolutions of the consensus, is introduced. A formula for the number of permitted resolutions of Adams consensus trees is derived and a proof given. We argue that maximising PIC measures provides a sensible criterion for choosing among alternative consensus trees and we illustrate this for consensus trees of cladograms.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Adams, E.N. (1972). Consensus techniques and the comparison of taxonomic trees, Syst. Zool., 21, 390–397.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Adams, E.N. (1986). N-trees as nestings: complexity, similarity and consensus, J. Classify 3, 299–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bobisud, H.M., and L.E. Bobisud. (1972). A metric for classification, Taxon, 21, 607–613.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, A.D. (1980). On the assessment and comparison of classifications, in: Analyse de Donnees et Informatique, Tomassone, R. (Ed.), Le Chesnay: INRIA, 149–160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mickevich, M.F. (1978). Taxonomic congruence, Syst. Zool, 27, 143–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mickevich, M.F., and N.I. Platnick. (1981). On the information content of classifications, Cladistics, 5, 33–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, G., and N.I. Platnick. (1980). Multiple branching in cladograms: two interpretations, Syst. Zool., 29, 86–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neumann, D.A. (1983). Faithful consensus methods for n-trees, Mathematical Biosciences, 63, 271–287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rohlf, F.J. (1982). Consensus indices for comparing classifications, Mathematical Biosciences, 59, 131–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sokal, R.R., and F.J. Rohlf. (1981). Taxonomic congruence in the Leptopodomorpha re-examined, Syst. Zool., 30, 309–325.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stinebrickner, R. (1984). An extension of intersection methods from trees to dendrograms, Syst. Zool, 33, 381–386.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swofford, D.L. (1991). When are phylogeny estimates from molecular and morphological data incongruent?, in: Phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences, Miyamoto, M.M. and Cracraft, J. (Eds.), Oxford Univ. Press, 295–333.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson, M. (1994). Common cladistic information and its consensus representation: reduced Adams and reduced cladistic consensus trees and profiles, Syst. Biol., 43, 343–368.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1998 Springer-Verlag Berlin · Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Thorley, J.L., Wilkinson, M., Charleston, M. (1998). The Information Content of Consensus Trees. In: Rizzi, A., Vichi, M., Bock, HH. (eds) Advances in Data Science and Classification. Studies in Classification, Data Analysis, and Knowledge Organization. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-72253-0_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-72253-0_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-64641-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-72253-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics