User talk:WhatamIdoing/Database article

Phylogenetic diversity
I think I understand the principle of phylogenetic diversity in conservation, but I don't have a grasp on the practice. (See here for the paper defining how the calculation is performed.) However I suspect that you have not captured the concept correctly in this example article. (I also suspect that the database isn't using precisely the same calculation.)

As far as I see phylogenetic diversity can be calculated using any characters, not just genetic characters. (But this paper does show low branch lengths in Entomocorus, validating your statement about genetic similarity, though the paper demonstrates both genetic and morphological similarity.)

Phylogenetic diversity is a property of a clade or a sample of a clade; not of a terminal node. For a species to have a calculated phylogenetic diversity would require sampling of populations or individuals within the species.

If I'm not missing something the calculated phylogenetic diversity depends on the number and nature of the characters used to calculate it. That's not a problem if all you want to do is compare the degree of phylogenetic diversity captured by different samples of a clade, or the relative trait diversity of different subclades, but precludes giving an absolute (context-independent) genetic diversity number to either a taxon or a clade. Lavateraguy (talk) 14:59, 30 May 2024 (UTC)