RE: hidden "cladistic" ranks

["Jaime A. Headden" <qilongia@yahoo.com>]

Tracy Ford (dino.hunter@home.com) wrote:

<This is a major problem with cladistics (for me that is). In the Linnaean 
system there was a
higherarchy (simple, easy to use, Superorder, Order, Suborder, Infraorder). 
Then cladistics came
into play and started to make more splits in the Linnaean system between what 
was already
established (Megaorder, Microrder, etc). Each time they use a cladigram they 
kept changing and
redefining animals and placing them in between what was established until now 
they've stretched
out the old Linnaean system so much that it is useless.>

  This is a fundamental issue of realizing that standard applications of names 
to ranks and the
retention of ranks to such taxa when the diversity is being expanded, being 
made complex, showing
(I hope) that the ranks are insufficient in this manner to recognize diversity.

<I know this because of my taxa lists and trying to place> all the lists into 
one. Now, they don't
even name things just place genera names, IMHO losing any systematic order at 
all.>

  This appears to be more of a matter of the loss of systematic ranking, not 
order. The order has
always been there, but the referrence markers (ranks, as you will) have been 
abaondoned as being
useless to described the proper diversity.

<Every cladigram is different from the other, places different genera in 
different places (sure
some are placed in the same place) but when known well established animals are 
bounced around from
spot to spot on different cladigrams just makes me roll my eyes and say, yea 
yea, just another
cladigram, big deal.>

  This is called progress ... things change, including what one author may call 
a class, a
subclad, an order, etc., or a superfamily, family, subfamily, or just lower it 
to tribe, depending
on how inclusive one wants to make a particular rank. Look at Allosauroidea and 
Sinraptoridae (or
-inae), etc.. I'm sure you can think of better examples.


=====
Jaime A. Headden

  Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhr-gen-ti-na
  Where the Wind Comes Sweeping Down the Pampas!!!!

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