[Taxacom] Invisible evolution, paraphyly

[Curtis Clark]

On 2007-06-12 07:16, Ken Kinman wrote:
> My goal for classifiying Class Reptilia is to make those three 
> cladistic cuts at the most useful places so that a consensus might be 
> reached (at least among people who will formally recognize paraphyletic 
> taxa).

A consensus is *required*, since no taxon in the same system can 
simultaneously contain, for example, Apatosaurus and Passer. That's why 
you have to take so much care, since you are precluding other cuts. 
Paraphyletic higher taxa don't play well with others.

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Curtis Clark            http://www.csupomona.edu/~jcclark/
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