[Taxacom] Why Taxonomy does NOT matter

[John Grehan]

Bob,

I appreciate that your position may not have that underpinning, but the
design nevertheless gave that impression for me. Otherwise, why use the
sequence metaphor? I missed the details of the cladogram, being
distracted by the sequence. Did you check with Ken Kinnman et al to make
sure you included some paraphyly? Anyway, I must seem curmudgeonly to
judge your design. Could I have done any better?

John Grehan 

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Mesibov [mailto:mesibov at southcom.com.au] 
Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2011 7:32 PM
To: John Grehan
Cc: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Why Taxonomy does NOT matter

John Grehan wrote:

"I thought the visual DNA sequence metaphor for phylogeny on the SASB
site to be quite telling - underpinning the idea that DNA sequences are
the essence (and therefore truth) of phylogeny."

I'm the logo designer, and I don't believe sequences are the 'truth' of
phylogeny. There is no 'truth' in any phylogeny, it's just guesswork,
and sequences can assist the guessing.

If you're really into symbology, I hope you like the way I 'claded' the
groups on the left: (biologists(systematic biologists(Australian
systematic biologists(those in the Society)))).
--
Dr Robert Mesibov
Honorary Research Associate
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, and School of Zoology, University
of Tasmania Home contact: PO Box 101, Penguin, Tasmania, Australia 7316
Ph: (03) 64371195; 61 3 64371195
Webpage: http://www.qvmag.tas.gov.au/?articleID=570