Binomial elimination

[Michael Simpson]

>
> Linnaean categories, or *ranks* are the root of evil in Linnaean
> nomenclature.  Get rid of "classes," "orders," "genera," etc. and you are
> left with named clades.  (For example,  "Order Artiodactyla" becomes
> simply "Artiodactyla").  Get rid of binomials, too, but simply use
> uninomials for "species" taxa (no numerics, please...).  (And note that
> jettisoning these arbitrary categories would do away with much of the
> rationale for defending paraphyletic groups.)
>
>
> David Wright
> dwright at u.washington.edu

16 March 1995
  I have no general problem with eliminating higher level ranks, but I would
seriously like to know how you propose to eliminate binomials.  I see no better
alternative myself but to work at making genera monophyletic but retain the
basic Linnaean binomial system.
  If you or anyone else out there would like to present a practical example for
replacing the binomial with another system, I'd like to see it.

-Mike Simpson
________________________________________________________________
Michael G. Simpson            office: LS 268   lab: LS 266
Department of Biology         voice: 619-594-4479
San Diego State University    fax: 619-594-5676
San Diego, CA   92182-0057    email: msimpson at sunstroke.sdsu.edu
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