NATURE to save taxonomy!

[Richard Zander]

Check out my "On the Present Revolution" for an explanation of why the
Phylocode is so attractive to so many:

http://www.buffalomuseumofscience.org/botany/postmod.htm

Click on the amusing yet edifying "Explanation" of why it appears on the Web
at this time.

R.Z.

---------
From:
Richard H. Zander
Emeritus Curator of Botany
Clinton Herbarium
FNA Editorial Center at Buffalo

The Buffalo Museum of Science
1020 Humboldt Pkwy
Buffalo, NY 14211 USA

email: rhzander at sciencebuff.org
voice: 716-896-5200 x 351   FAX: 716-897-6723
home: http://www.buffalomuseumofscience.org/div_botany.html
BFNA home: http://www.buffalomuseuofscience/BFNA/BFNAmenu.htm
FNA home: http://hua.huh.harvard.edu/FNA/


----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Shear" <wshear at EMAIL.HSC.EDU>
To: <TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG>
Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2002 11:07 AM
Subject: Re: NATURE to save taxonomy!


> Despite a few strident voices, I think the vast majority of practicing
> taxonomists are pretty well satisfied with how the system presently works.
> Like organisms themselves, it has evolved (evolution is a tinkerer!) to
meet
> emerging needs, and so far the equilibrium of that evolution has not been
> punctuated.
>
> If we are to make a sudden and great departure from the way we work now,
> like the Phylocode or some centralized system of names registration, it
> seems to me that it is up to the proponents of such change to make an
> overwhelming case that the problems are very serious indeed, and that the
> remedies they want are the ones we need.
>
> So far, I don't see it, and neither, I believe, do most of my colleagues.
> So, while this action by NATURE adds another voice to the debate, it will
> probably have very little long-term effect.