An ontology-based measure of structural complexity for phylogenies

RAMÍREZ, M. J.

Rostock

Congreso; XXXII Meeting of the Willi Hennig Society; 2013

Rostock University

Complexity is an important aspect of evolutionary biology, but there are many reasonable concepts of complexity, and its objective measurement is an elusive matter. Here I present a narrow-view measure of complexity based in counts of elements, which has been used previously, but incorporating the hierarchical information as represented in anatomical ontologies. By linking the elements of a phylogenetic dataset with an anatomical ontology it is possible to derive a measure of complexity that can be traced on phylogenetic trees and is harmonious with usual phylogenetic operations. The interaction of an ontology and a phylogenetic dataset helps clarify a concept of individuation of elements in comparative biology.