Character construction, the methods by which characters and character states are produced from observations of variation, is a crucial but poorly understood step in phylogenetic analysis. Alternative approaches are used in practice, but there has been relatively little investigation of their theoretical bases and analytical consequences. We reviewed three published numerical analyses of the phy...

Sauracanthorhynchus sphenomorphicola n. gen., n. sp. from the intestines of the skink Sphenomorphus granulatus (Scincidae) from Papua New Guinea is described and illustrated. Sauracanthorhynchus sphenomorphicola is characterized by a subterminal, spheroid proboscis supporting 25 hooks arranged in 10 alternating longitudinal rows of 2 and 3; apical hooks slightly shorter than medial and posterio...