More on Hennig and Rosa

[John Grehan]

A colleague kindly drew my attention to an article by Kuge and another
person (the name is missing) published on the web page
http://www.cladistics.org/about/hennig.html

The article refers to Hennig's war experience in Italy, noting that he was
not interned, but worked in the anti-malaria service of the British. The
author's acknowledge suggestions that during this time Hennig learned
Rosa's theory. They conclude "However, whenever Hennig might have acquired
knowledge of Rosa's earlier contribution, he may just as well dismissed it,
because Rosa's ideas were so strongly influenced by Lamarckian thinking".

My current understanding of Rosa was that he was not Lamarkian, but nearer
to the concept of orthogenesis. If this was enough to Hennig to "dismiss"
hologenesis, still the information acquired becomes background knowledge,
and if incorporated (which is evidently the case if a historical connection
is established) cladists will owe as much historical debt to Rosa as to
Hennig. Perhaps the society will have to be renamed the Willi Hennig and
Daniele Rosa society!

John Grehan