[Taxacom] Paraphyletic species and paraphyletic higher taxa

[Richard Zander]

Phylogenetic trees are not reconstructions of evolution, they are structures of data. Darwin produced a theory of evolution from structures of data, involving informal clustering. Phylogeneticists refuse to produce theories of evolution of descent with modification particular to cluster-produced structures of information about some group. 

There is one diagram in the Origin of Species. It is more like a Besseyan cactus than a cladogram.

 
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Richard H. Zander 
Missouri Botanical Garden, PO Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166-0299 USA 
Web sites: http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/resbot/ and http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/bfna/bfnamenu.htm
Modern Evolutionary Systematics Web site: http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/resbot/21EvSy.htm



-----Original Message-----
From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu [mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Richard Jensen
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 12:43 PM
To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Paraphyletic species and paraphyletic higher taxa
Besides, just because my analysis suggests that group A is a 
monophyletic, that doesn't mean it really is.  Just that the data on  hand suggest it is.  By what criterion do I know that the reconstruction is accurate?

Dick J