Message 2004-10-0076: Paleontology [was: Re: Thoughts on the Paris meeting]

Tue, 14 Sep 2004 12:03:35 -0500

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Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2004 12:03:35 -0500
From: [unknown]
To: "David A. Baum" <dbaum@wisc.edu>
Cc: phylocode@ouvaxa.cats.ohiou.edu
Subject: Paleontology [was: Re: Thoughts on the Paris meeting]

Quoting "David A. Baum" <dbaum@wisc.edu>:

> I agree with Scott that the=20
> PhyloCode has become too concerned with the=20
> narrow concerns of vertebrate paleontologists [...]

Could we please stop picking on VP? At least HALF of the vertebrate
paleontologists at the meeting opposed these supposed accomodations t=
o the
"narrow concerns of vertebrate paleontologists." The proposal to limi=
t
definitions to node- and stem-based formats CAME from a vertebrate
paleontologist. Many of the most emphatic objections to apomorphy-bas=
ed
definitions also came from vertebrate paleontologists. As far as I ca=
n tell,
proportionally more VP folks than vertebrate neontologists oppose pan=
stems.

Folks, it's not that vertebrate paleontologists are trying to bend th=
e PhyloCode
to their will, it is that there are a lot of VP people in the ISPN. T=
here HAS
been a subtle polarizing of the ISPN, with one group advocating certa=
in ideas,
and others opposing them. This polarity is NOT along disciplinary lin=
es. As far
as I can tell, paleontology and neontology are approximately equally =
represented
in these groups relative to the composition of the Society as a whole=
.

So, please, lets concentrate on the ISSUES, and not the PEOPLE!

Jon


  

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