Order and polarity in character state transformation models that root the tree of life

Abstract Harish and Kurland recently compared two evolutionary models that root the tree of life. Both models make use of unordered phylogenetic characters. Here we show that they confused one of their models with models that use Wagner ordered characters. In addition, we also show that these Wagner characters should be polarized a posteriori with the generality criterion and not with external outgroup hypotheses. These facts question the rationale of their comparative phylogenomic exercise.