[Taxacom] "Tenuinucelli" clade in eudicots?

[Richard Zander]

Attempts to classify by evolutionary relationships are in two stages. One, determine evolutionary relationships (if you can, to whatever extent you can). Two, classify. This assumes the zero step of identification, description, and naming. It is the zero step you refer to, Jim, I think. 
 
One fact is that both groups have this trait. The interpretation of the evolutionary significance of the trait is the knotty part, which we argue about but leads to evolutionary classification.
 
 
 
_______________________
Richard H. Zander
Missouri Botanical Garden
PO Box 299
St. Louis, MO 63166 U.S.A.
richard.zander at mobot.org
 

________________________________

From: Jim Croft [mailto:jim.croft at gmail.com]
Sent: Sat 2/26/2011 3:18 PM
To: Richard Zander
Cc: Kenneth Kinman; taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] "Tenuinucelli" clade in eudicots?



To be picky, isn't the evidence simply that both groups have
tennuicellate ovules, and nothing more?  Interpretation of the origin,
meaning, significance and implication of this is something else.

jim

On Sunday, February 27, 2011, Richard Zander <Richard.Zander at mobot.org> wrote:
> Okay, Ken. This may be difficult to accept, but the fact that both groups have tenuinucellate ovules is evidence that both share a deep ancestor, whether they are sister groups or not. The fact is evidence that provides a theory, which can be compared with other theories, falsified maybe, supported maybe, etc.


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