Cladistics is a method used to reconstruct genealogies by classifying organisms based on common ancestry, and is used for comparative studies in all fields of biology. This book is based on a successful course run annually and sponsored by the Systematics Association. Its aim it to present a thorough introduction to the principles of parsimony, methods of tree building, and tree statistics. The implementation of cladistics in biogeography and classification is also covered.
1. Cladistic theory; 2. Character coding; 3. The determination of character polarity; 4. Tree-building techniques; 5. Tree statistics; 6. DNA analysis: theory; 7. DNA analysis: methods; 8. Fossils and cladistic analysis; 9. Cladistic biogeography; 10. Formal classification