[Taxacom] Phylogenetic game

[Curtis Clark]

On 12/13/2010 11:14 AM, Richard Zander wrote:
> On paraphyly, suppose
> a = polar bear
> b = brown bear molecular strain 1
> c = brown bear molecular strain 2
>
> A strict cladist would say "((a,b)c) . . .
>
> A loose cladist would say (but not in print) ((a)b)c...
>
> An evolutionary systematist would say "the polar bear line apparently budded off one of the brown bear lineages."
An evolutionary cladist would say "Species are the smallest units of 
phylogeny, and anybody who thinks paraphyletic species justify 
paraphyletic higher taxa is a dogmatist."

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