Surplus time for Botanists

[Paulo Petry - Fisheries]

On Mon, 20 Mar 1995, Una Smith wrote:

>  And here's a nice quote along the same lines (note the date!):
>
> "Much of the confusion during the last fifty years in discussions of the
> angiosperms is due to the interjection of phylogenetic concepts into
> systems of classification that were not developed originally from an
> evolutionary point of view.  The older systems are logical arrangements
> designed to facilitate accurate identification and to provide efficiency
> in the codification and use of specimens in large herbaria. ... The most
> that may be inferred from the *totality* of evidence from all organs and
> parts of the plants is, in a majority of cases, the conclusion that the
> related groups of plants were derived from common ancestors, now extinct."
>
> Swamy, B.G.L. and Bailey, I.W. (1949) The morphology and relationships
> of _Cercidiphyllum_.  Journal of the Arnold Arboretum 30:187-210.
>

I just want to clarify that the above quote is prior to Willi Henning's
Grundzuge einer theorie der phylogenetischen systematik of 1950.
Phylogenetic Systematics only came out in 1966. Therefore I am assuming that
the term "phylogenetic concept" used above in the quote is not homologous to
the one used by Henning.  The words might be the same, however the idea are
quite different.  I don't want to stir up this pot more than it already is,
but we should keep the concepts with precision.  This might help to keep
us in the right track, if such concept applies.

Figure 1- Tambaqui feeding on fruits from the flooded forest
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          /     Oregon State University   \            //////
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  @@>            )     Paulo Petry                \\\\\\\
    \             ) petryp at ucs.orst.edu         ____\\\\\\\
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         \     )   Neotropical Ichthyology   /\ \       \\\\\\
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                    I FISH THEREFORE I AM !
           AMAZON FLOODPLAIN FISH ECOLOGY RESEARCH
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