Original paper
Weighting and scaling of features in numerical evaluation of coccal green algae (genera of the Selenastraceae)
Marvan, Petr; Komárek, Jiří; Comas, Augusto
Algological Studies/Archiv für Hydrobiologie, Supplement Volumes No. 67 (1984), p. 363 - 399
41 references
published: Dec 12, 1984
DOI: 10.1127/algol_stud/67/1984/363
ArtNo. ESP142009500025, Price: 29.00 €
Abstract
Several modifications of numerical evaluation methods were applied to the same set of genera and smaller infrageneric groups of species of the Selenastraceae (Chlorellales, Chlorophyceae) with the aim to find a more appropriate way of coding the features, and, simultaneously, to obtain a more objective basis for the generic classification within this algal group. Both weighting the features according to their supposed taxonomic importance and scaling of their frequencies of the occurrence in individual Operational Taxonomic Units (OTU's), contributed to an accentuation or, on the contrary, to a diminution of the differences between OTU's not clearly delimited by traditional methods. On the other hand, a subjectivity accompanying the selection of features and their coding can hardly be eliminated absolutely. Having used the numerical procedures as a source of auxiliary information, a taxonomic revision of 18 genera of the family Selenastraceae has been performed and a conspectus of their specific contents has been given.
Keywords
Numerical taxonomy • weighted and scaled features • graphical procedures • taxonomic evaluation • generic level • Selenastraceae • Chlorellales • Chlorophyta