Pattern recognition in biologic classification

摘要

In lieu of any knowledge of an a priori classification, biologic objects of the environment (viz., higher plants and animals) are independently classified by men and some animals with a remarkable uniformity which can be interpreted to reflect evolutionary relationships between the classified objects. This phenomenon of congruent hierarchical classifications or conceptualizations suggests an inherent “mental program” selectively attained to meet a survival-oriented demand. Although envisioned, this program as yet is operationally unknown and mysterious. Since the procedure is undefined, it is of theoretic interest and practical importance to examine the same kind of classificatory results as obtained by methodology that is specifiable. Temporarily suspending the direct search for the “mental model of biologic classification,” this paper discusses the attributes of a modified discriminant function approach to evolutionarily reflective taxonomies. The procedure is applied to two sets of data, one pertaining to species of the genus Froelichia, the other to Centaurium.