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The Future of Systematics: Tree Thinking without the Tree

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Joel D. Velasco
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Abstract

Phylogenetic trees are meant to represent the genealogical history of life and apparently derive their justification from the existence of the tree of life and the fact that evolutionary processes are treelike. However, there are a number of problems for these assumptions. Here it is argued that once we understand the important role that phylogenetic trees play as models that contain idealizations, we can accept these criticisms and deny the reality of the tree while justifying the continued use of trees in phylogenetic theory and preserving nearly all of what defenders of trees have called the “importance of tree thinking.”

Type
Biology
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 79 , Issue 5 , December 2012 , pp. 624 - 636
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

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Footnotes

†

Thanks to audiences at the 2010 PSA meeting, the 2011 ISHPSSB meeting, Caltech, Ohio State, Gustavus Adolphus, and Texas Tech who heard parts of versions of this article and to Matt Barker, Kenny Easwaran, Luke Glynn, Matt Haber, Matt Slater, and Elliott Sober who also provided comments on this article.

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