Karyotype Diversity Among and Within Avian Taxa: A Simple Test in R (Report‪)‬

Abstract.-Taxonomic categories should be representative of natural groupings based on a shared lineage. Approaches to implementing this tenet are numerous and diverse with molecular methods such as gene sequencing being the most common today. This study suggests that one approach, the use of diploid chromosome characteristics, has been underutilized in avian species, particularly compared to other higher taxa. It is further suggested that a primary cause of this lack of information is because avian chromosomes are more difficult to study than other vertebrate groups. Consequently, a common statistical method is demonstrated to determine if variation in diploid chromosome number is greater between avian taxonomic groups than within them, as would be expected. An example is demonstrated using the powerful, free software package Program R. Implications of these results are also discussed. Resumen.-Categorias taxonomicas deberian ser representatives de los grupos sobre la base de un linaje compartido. Enfoques para la aplicacion de este principio son multiples y con diversos metodos moleculares como la secuenciacion de genes es el mas comun el dia de hoy. Sugerimos que un enfoque, el uso de cromosomas diploides caracteristicas, ha sido subutilizado en las especies de aves, especialmente en comparacion con otros taxa superiores. Ademas, sugerimos que una de las principales causas de esta falta de informacion se debe a que los cromosomas aviar son mas dificiles de estudiar que otros grupos de vertebrados. En consecuencia, demostrar un metodo estadistico comun para determinar si la variacion en el numero diploide de cromosomas aviar es mayor entre los grupos taxonomicos que dentro de ellos, como era de esperar. Demostramos esta usando el gran alcance, libre del paquete de software R. Programa Consecuencias de nuestros resultados son tambien discutidos.