Numerical, phenetic, and cladistic analyses: Problems and examples with Orthocladiinae (Diptera, Chironomidae)

Abstract

Abstract Ninety‐one binary characters belonging to 58 genera and subgenera of Orthocladiinae (Diptera, Chironomidae) were filed in a matrix. Larval, pupal, adult male and female characters were analyzed. Trees obtained by different numerical (phenetic and cladistic) methods were compared. The set of selected characters seemed much more important for determining the final results than the numerical method used in computation. The polarity of character states did not substantially influence the final results. Consensus trees and the ≪bootstrap≫ method are the most promising techniques in resolving conflicting results obtained using different numerical methods or different sets of characters. In any case, time is probably better spent in character analysis than in testing the same data with different numerical methods. The largest set of characters available should be used, but both the redundant inclusion of correlated characters and an ≪a priori≫ injustified weighting should be avoided. The Hennigian trees...