Re: BAD vs. BADD (was: Re: Most popular/common dinosaur misconceptions)

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Scott Hartman wrote:

> The fact that on this very list it was claimed that inner ear bones (which 
> are likely homoplastic anyways) and fur makes whales, bats, and pyrotheres 
> all mammals, while running with slightly less femoral excursion makes 
> extant birds different from theropods, shows how badly misleading the 
> system is.
>
> As a gauge of disparity, the Linnean system is an absolute disaster.

Well said, Scott.  The Linnaean system is an absolute disaster in terms of 
both disparity AND diversity.

This is taxonomy's 'dirty little secret': ranks are, and have always been, 
utterly subjective.  There is absolutely no biological principal behind a 
"Class" or an "Order", except that these ranks were convenient and gave the 
illusion of stability.  But both premises were based on a lack of knowledge, 
especially concerning evolution and the fossil record.  After all, Linnaeus 
was a creationist (though, to be fair, he lived at a time when there was no 
known alternatives to Genesis), and his method of classification had more in 
common with stamp collecting than evolutionary biology.  I know this sounds 
horribly elitist, and I have the utmost respect for Linnaeaus.  But it's 
time to move on.

On a tangential note... the IAU has decided on new criteria to define a 
'planet'.  Pluto has been cut, and there are now only eight planets in our 
solar system.  (I don't think I could ever get my mind around Pluto and 
Charon being 'twin planets'.)  Jeff's predictions were true - well done!

Cheers

Tim