Re: New alligatoroid paper as example for amateur cladists

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 7/6/99 6:41:58 AM EST, Philidor11@AOL.Com writes:

<< In a message dated 7/5/99 2:51:20 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
 znc14@TTACS.TTU.EDU writes:
 
 << The author concludes that he has found certain taxa to be monophyletic, 
 yet these taxa were defined as monophyletic taxa. I may have missed a 
 sentence or two explaining this. >>
 
 I think you did.  The word 'yet' implies a contrast, but I don't see one. >>

There is indeed a contrast. On the one hand, the author says he has 
>discovered< that a group is monophyletic, whereas on the other hand the 
author has >defined< that group so that it is monophyletic. This is more than 
mere semantics; it is philosophy.