[Taxacom] Catalogue of Life (CoL) management classification draft document

[Stephen Thorpe]

Dear Tony and other Taxacomers,

Biological classification is a mixture of scientific fact (i.e.,  
monophyly, or not) and subjective opinion (i.e., how big or small  
should a monophyletic group be without the need to split it). Both  
these factors taken together doesn't make life very easy, and it is  
all in perpetual flux, which also doesn't make it very easy. However,  
I don't think that the issue can be "managed" in quite the way that is  
envisaged by some. I have thought a great deal about this, for my  
Wikispecies work. My primary governing principle is that, subject to  
monophyly, classification is primarily a filing system to make  
information management easier. So, it doesn't really matter which  
classification is followed, PROVIDING that it is explicitly stated  
which one. The problem with adopting a particular classification for a  
large group (like the "Protista") is that advances in taxonomy happen  
on much smaller subgroups, so if you blindly follow one particular  
broad classification, then you cannot accommodate the advances very  
easily. Hence, I think you have to simply treat matters on a case by  
case basis, and just choose and specify a sensible classification for  
that particular case (and change it, if necessary, if something more  
convincing is published). To try to come up with a single "officially  
endorsed" classification would simply be to ignore the subjectivity  
and fallibility of taxonomy...

Stephen Thorpe
Honorary Research Associate
School of Biological Sciences
Tamaki Campus
University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland

Quoting Tony.Rees at csiro.au:

> Dear Taxacomers,
>
> For those who may not have yet come across it, I thought it might be  
> worth mentioning that a draft discussion document entitled "Towards  
> a management hierarchy (classification) for the Catalogue of Life"  
> by Dennis Gordon is now available on the CoL website (and also the  
> CD-ROM distribution version for 2009) at the following URL:
>
> http://www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2009/info_hierarchy.php
>
> There is no stated procedure for commenting on this draft or to whom  
> such comments should be addressed, but it makes good reading for  
> those interested in such matters, and might stimulate some relevant  
> discussion as well, updated since the last time this issue was  
> raised on the list around one year ago. I'd be particularly  
> interested in the question of whether a consensus now exists to  
> follow e.g. Cavalier-Smith in treating the protists, or whether  
> there are other views on this that are also worthy of consideration  
> (since I would appreciate some guidance in this area myself).
>
> Regards - Tony Rees
>
> ________________________________________
> From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu  
> [taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Adolf & Oluna  
> Ceska [aceska at telus.net]
> Sent: Saturday, 18 July 2009 1:28 AM
> To: 'TAXACOM'
> Subject: [Taxacom] Drawing of Myriophyllum fruits
>
> I am looking for drawings of fruits ("mericarps") of the following
> water-milfoil (Myriophyllum) species:
>
>
>
> Myriophyllum heterophyllum
>
> Myriophyllum pinnatum
>
> Myriophyllum quitense
>
> Myriophyllum ussuriense
>
>
>
> I would greatly appreciate if some of those botanists who like to have their
> feet wet could help me.
>
>
>
> Many thanks,
>
>
>
> Adolf Ceska, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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