THE PROBLEM OF INTERPRETATION OF PHYLOGENETIC TREES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32461/2226-3209.3.2018.171877Keywords:
Phylogenetic Algorithm, Evolution Trees, ASJP Database, North-Caucasian languages, Turkic Languages.Abstract
Abstract. Phylogenetic algorithms have been used in a number of papers to describe the evolution of language families. In the paper the neighbor joining algorithm apply to the database of the Automated Similarity Judgment Program and results are compared with the common languages classification. A number of families have been considered in detail: North Caucasian languages, Turkic languages, Maya. In addition to recognized families, a hypothetical Nostratic macrofamily is also considered. When applying phylogenetic algorithms to databases, some errors occur. Possible causes of mistakes are analyzed, and a statement that mistakes are inevitable for phylogenetic algorithms is justified. The following main types of errors are identified. Languages in databases are represented as vectors of large dimension, while in the form of trees it is a one-dimensional structure. With decreasing dimension, the loss of information is mathematically unavoidable. Testing of one of the most popular phylogenetic algorithms – the algorithm of the neighbor joining – has been carried out, and it is shown that it gives an error in 13% of cases. Another source of error is the instability of phylogenetic algorithms – small (random) changes in the data can lead to a significant rearrangement of trees. A few recommendations on the methods of correct interpretation of results obtained via phylogenetic algorithms are proposed.
Keywords: Phylogenetic Algorithm, Evolution Trees, ASJP Database, North-Caucasian languages, Turkic
Languages.
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