Message 2001-06-0028: Re: Fwd: Vermes

Mon, 30 Apr 2001 10:40:39 +0200

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Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 10:40:39 +0200
From: Michel Laurin <laurin@ccr.jussieu.fr>
To: PhyloCode@ouvaxa.cats.ohiou.edu
Subject: Re: Fwd: Vermes

>On Mon, 30 Apr 2001, Michel Laurin wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> >Personally, I don't mind using _Synapsida_ (and _Therapsida_) as clades =
--
>> >I've done so for years. I'm just thinking of "selling" the system to a
>> >wider audience, some of whom may find these conversions (and those of
>> >_Reptilia_, _Osteichthyes_, etc.) hard to swallow, especially when other
>> >names for the clades are already in existence (however obscure).
>>
>> 	Actually, I don't think that this will be a problem.  Many
>> vertebrate paleontologists (including myself) have been using
>> Synapsida in this monophyletic sense for so long, that I think this is
>> already considered the normal meaning of that name.
>
>Good point. Fine for those taxa, then, but what about groups still used
>quite commonly (probably mroe commonly) in their traditional senses, like
>_Osteichthyes_ and _Reptilia_?
>
>(_Amphibia_ is not quite so bad, IMHO, since it still refers to the same
>group in terms of extant taxa, and most biologists work with extant taxa.)

	Actually, I know many paleontologists (again, including myself) that have=
 used Osteichthyes, Reptilia, and Amphibia as clades for many years.  I=
 think that this is a general issue (I suspect that most taxa have been used=
 as clades by now), and that people will just have to get used to the idea=
 that the only taxa that are valid are clades (this has been a major tenet=
 of cladistics for fourty years, so this should not be controversial), so=
 there should be no special problems with Osteichthyes, Reptilia or=
 Amphibia.  I think that most people understand that sometimes, progress=
 requires a change of habits.  Anyway, that's my opinion.

	Sincerely,

	Michel

	**********************************
	Michel Laurin
	Equipe 'Formations squelettiques'
	CNRS - UMR 8570
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	Tel. (33) 1 44 27 36 92
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