The nature of cladistics [...]

[Richard Jensen]

pierre deleporte wrote:

> No evolutionary systematicians, no phylogenies.

I see this as the same kind of philosophical question as "If a tree falls in
the forest, and no one is there to hear it, does it make any noise."

IF one accepts the tenets of evolutionary theory, then phylogenies exist
whether or not there are systematists to ponder the mysteries of the proccesses
that gave rise to them.  I would modify Pierre's statement this way "No
evolutionary systematists, no phylogenetic hypotheses."

Dick
--
Richard J. Jensen              | tel: 574-284-4674
Department of Biology      | fax: 574-284-4716
Saint Mary's College         | e-mail: rjensen at saintmarys.edu
Notre Dame, IN 46556    | http://www.saintmarys.edu/~rjensen