rankless nomenclature

[Don McAllister]

I back Boeger and Pyle's suggestion.  We need a system that will convey
information to the many non-taxonomic users of binomial names (and those working
in distant taxonomic groups) and a system which will show the relationships
construed this week.  We should remember that the entomologist will not be
conversant with the finer details of botantical nomenclature and may often not
need them (yes, there are exceptions).

Personally I think that keeping a relatively simple hierarchy (without too many
sub-, super-, infra- units) plus a cladogram (number the branches using some
simple code so that one could talk about them), would meet almost all our needs.

When relationships are in very active ferment, as they are in some groups,
trying to freeze the switching relationships in a hierarchy is useful neither
for the non-taxonomist nor the taxonomist-specialist.

don
Don McAllister