An objective criterion for weighting taxonomic characters
- MOJ Biology and Medicine
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Joaquim Carlos Sena Maia
Abstract
In this work we present the programs developed to calculate, through a weighting system, the contributions of taxonomic characters to aggregate species in higher taxa or to individualize them in identification processes. The concepts established in previous works are presented graphically in order to facilitate the understanding of the concepts of aggregative and discriminative potentials of a character. A step-by-step tutorial is presented to facilitate the use of the programs developed by the author to calculate the weighting of each character, numerically translating the ability to aggregate and discriminate taxonomic units, by means of statistical analysis.
Keywords
weighting, aggregating, taxonomic characters, potential