phylosignalDB - Explore Phylogenetic Signals Using Distance-Based Methods
A unified method, called M statistic, is provided for
detecting phylogenetic signals in continuous traits, discrete
traits, and multi-trait combinations. Blomberg and Garland
(2002) <doi:10.1046/j.1420-9101.2002.00472.x> provided a widely
accepted statistical definition of the phylogenetic signal,
which is the "tendency for related species to resemble each
other more than they resemble species drawn at random from the
tree". The M statistic strictly adheres to the definition of
phylogenetic signal, formulating an index and developing a
method of testing in strict accordance with the definition,
instead of relying on correlation analysis or evolutionary
models. The novel method equivalently expressed the textual
definition of the phylogenetic signal as an inequality equation
of the phylogenetic and trait distances and constructed the M
statistic. Also, there are more distance-based methods under
development.