Hennig (was "REPORT")

[Ken Kinman]

     I think if Hennig had been a non-entomologist, he may have never come
up with that particular proposal.  I can see how it could be useful for
species-rich taxa with a fairly good fossil record (especially at lower
taxonomic levels).
     However, it is impractical for fossil-poor groups, and even with a
relatively good fossil record, it gets more impractical as one ascends the
taxonomic hierarchy (cladistic or eclectic).  Such a proposal just makes the
system too rigid in most cases, and therefore the main reason it was
probably never accepted widely.  It would create more problems than it
solves.
                           -----Ken Kinman
*******************************************************
<cthompson at SEL.BARC.USDA.GOV>
>And finally, it should be noted the only scientist who ever proposed a
>scientific, logical, consistent method of ranking taxa so that comparisons
>could be made was Willi Hennig, a dipterist. Unfortunately his proposal has
>never been accepted (rank = age of clade / group).  Had his proposal been
>accepted then one could tell from these statistics, etc., rate of
>evolution, character divergence, etc.
>
>Oh, well ...
>
>F. Christian Thompson
>Systematic Entomology Lab., ARS, USDA
>Smithsonian Institution
>Washington, D. C. 20560-0169
>(202) 382-1800 voice
>(202) 786-9422 FAX
>cthompso at sel.barc.usda.gov
>visit our Diptera site at www.diptera.org
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