CladisticInfo() calculates the cladistic (phylogenetic) information
content of a phylogenetic object, sensu Thorley et al. (1998).
CladisticInfo(x)PhylogeneticInfo(x)
# S3 method for phylo
CladisticInfo(x)
# S3 method for list
CladisticInfo(x)
# S3 method for multiPhylo
CladisticInfo(x)
PhylogeneticInformation(x)
CladisticInformation(x)
Tree of class phylo, or a list thereof.
CladisticInfo() returns a numeric giving the cladistic information
content of the input tree(s), in bits.
The CIC is the logarithm of the number of binary trees that include the specified topology. A base two logarithm gives an information content in bits.
The CIC was originally proposed by Rohlf (1982), and formalised, with an information-theoretic justification, by Thorley et al. (1998). Steel and Penny (2006) term the equivalent quantity 'phylogenetic information content' in the context of individual characters.
The number of binary trees consistent with a cladogram provides a more satisfactory measure of the resolution of a tree than simply counting the number of edges resolved (Page, 1992).
Page1992TreeTools
Rohlf1982TreeTools
Steel2006TreeTools
Thorley1998TreeTools
Other tree information functions:
NRooted(),
TreesMatchingTree()
Other tree characterization functions:
Stemwardness,
TotalCopheneticIndex()