Re: Taxonomies dirty secret (JOKE)

["Aspidel" <aspidel@wanadoo.be>]

From: "Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>
(snip)
>
> In what meaningful way is the Order Ornithischia equivalent to the Order
> Lagomorpha the Order Perciformes to the Order Thoracica to the Order
> Spinulosida to the Order Teuthoidea to... (you get the idea)??  Number of
> taxa? Date of origination? Amount of variability?  Morphological distance
> from the next equivalent rank?
>
> People have suggested these as ideas, but only After The Fact; as possible
> justifications for the rankings already established, rather than a
principle
> or metric by which the "rank" of a taxon could be evaluated.
>
> It is not Science.  It never has been Science.  It is only Art and
> Bookkeeping, and honest taxonomists admitted it.

I've heard from some scientists that "taxonomy is the art of insulting
animals, plants and fungi in Latin".
Some say the same about nomenclature but here I don't agree: even if it's
difficult, the most important is to know what we're talking about.
Sorry, couldn't resist...

Friendly - Luc J. "Aspidel" BAILLY.