You are given a character matrix for four different taxa showing character states for eight different morphologic characters. How many alternative phylogenetic hypotheses can be generated with the four taxa?
A)3
B)12
C)15
D)24
E)32

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

For four taxa, the number of possible unrooted trees is given by the formula (2n-5)!!, where n is the number of taxa. For n=4, this results in (2*4-5)!! = 3!! = 3 x 1 = 3. However, since each tree can be rooted in three different ways, the total number of rooted trees is 3 x 5 = 15.

You Are Given a Character Matrix for Four Different Taxa