[Taxacom] New systematics book

[Curtis Clark]

On 2013-09-09 7:29 AM, Richard Jensen wrote:
> I agree with Ken.  The expression "Birds are descended from Reptiles" is
> more informative and interesting than is "Birds are Reptiles."  First, it
> clearly states an evolutionary hypothesis.  Second, it encourages the
> reader to consider what lineage of reptiles differentiated into birds and
> how this happened.

The expression "birds are maniraptoran theropods" is more informative 
than either one (and more easily subject to falsification, however that 
might work in systematics).

And no one (that I know of) says "birds are descended from amniotes" or 
"birds are descended from vertebrates", or even "humans are descended 
from mammals".

-- 
Curtis Clark        http://www.csupomona.edu/~jcclark
Biological Sciences                   +1 909 869 4140
Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona CA 91768