Message 2004-02-0013: RE: a comment on ancestor

Fri, 06 Feb 2004 08:43:13 -0500

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Date: Fri, 06 Feb 2004 08:43:13 -0500
From: "Moore, Gerry" <gerrymoore@bbg.org>
To: Philip Cantino <cantino@ohiou.edu>, phylocode@ouvaxa.cats.ohiou.edu
Subject: RE: a comment on ancestor




>Igor Ya. Pavlinov: To me, it means that Phylocode pretends to regulate
not only naming but=20
>also recognizing taxa: it is explicetly stated in the preamble and=20
>implicetly follows from presumed allocation procedure. Thus Phylocode=20
>becomes ideological instrument to supress all who disagree with=20
>cladistic principles.

Phil Cantino: The PhyloCode is designed to name clades.  It is therefore
unlikely to be adopted by anyone who does not agree with cladistic
principles. Its rules could be used to give explicit definitions to the
names of paraphyletic or even polyphyletic groups, but I think it is
unlikely anyone would choose to use it this way.


I don't agree that the PhyloCode could be used to give explicit
definitions to names of non-monophyletic taxa. This assertion has also
found it way in print by Kevin and Phil (Taxon 50: 821-826. 2001):
"First it should be noted that although the PhyloCode is designed to
name clades, it does not expressly prohibit the naming of paraphyletic
groups."

The first article (1.1) in the PhyloCode "only clade names are governed
by this code." And the next article (2.1) defines clade as "an ancestor
and all of its descendents."  Given this, any name given a definition
that identifies a non-monophyletic group would have no standing under
the PhyloCode. Arts. 11.9, 11.10 also make it clear that names that do
not identify a clade in the context of a given phylogeny are not to be
used.

The PhyloCode may not expressly prohibit the naming of non-monophyletic
taxa but it is pretty clear they are prohibited nonetheless.  A code
that uses explicit definitions could be written so that it permits the
naming of non-monophyletic taxa but the PhyloCode is not written this
way.

Gerry Moore=20

Gerry Moore
Research Taxonomist
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
1000 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11225-1008
718-623-7332=20

  

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