Unresolved Node
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UNRESOLVED NODE. Quercus lobata, Valley oak.
Between Santa Teresa St and Santa Teresa Ln.
When inferring a phylogeny, the goal is to estimate a strictly bifurcating tree. Sometimes, however, data do not provide enough signal to “resolve” a multifurcating node into a sequence of bifurcations. An estimated tree may then possess one or more multifurcations, or unresolved nodes.
Unresolved nodes are represented by the palmate leaves of a plant growing epiphytically from the site of a broken branch in this valley oak, as each palmate leaf takes the form of a multifurcation.
(Thanks to Maike Morrison for spotting the palmate leaves.)