[Taxacom] Bolboceratinae or Bolboceratidae

[John Grehan]

> bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Doug Yanega
> Sent: Monday, October 23, 2006 2:40 PM
> Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Bolboceratinae or Bolboceratidae
> 
> The present system is based primarily on the work of Browne &
> Scholtz. Just a point - no one should get comfortable with any of the
> existing classifications of Scarabaeoidea, as the detailed molecular
> analyses over the last several years by Dave Hawks and others WILL
> result in a more definitive reclassification in the near future.

"WILL" sounds a bit like prophecy. Just because the molecular results
don't match morphology does not mean the molecular results are
necessarily more correct.

> Suffice it to say, there are several families, and though most of the
> families are monophyletic, and will remain in use, the relationships
> among them are not what the morphological phylogenies of Browne &
> Scholtz suggest. 

Or, conversely, the relationships are not what the molecular phylogenies
(of ?) suggest.

Morphology alone is not sufficient in this case, 

Is this a transcendental truth (i.e. morphology will always be
ambiguous) or contingent upon current knowledge? 

as
> has been seen in many other taxa in recent years. 

Perhaps ambiguity is the true nature of the universe.

It is likely to
> remain somewhat contentious and controversial for a while, at least.

It sometimes seems that the more attention given to any group the more
contentious and controversial it becomes.

John Grehan 

> 
> Peace,
> --
> 
> Doug Yanega        /Dept. of Entomology         /Entomology Research
> Museum
> Univ. of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521-0314
> phone: (951) 827-4315 (standard disclaimer: opinions are mine, not
UCR's)
>               http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html
>    "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
>          is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82
> 
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