[Taxacom] New synapomorphy for humans and orangutans

[John Grehan]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu [mailto:taxacom-
> bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Richard Zander


> Well, synapomorphies are part of parsimony cluster analysis, which for
the
> past 30 years has wrongly used the idea that the only evolution is
> gradualistic evolution with accumulation of neutral traits, 

I am aware that molecular clock methods assume gradualism, but I was not
aware that cladistic methods necessitate gradualism of neutral traits.
and therefore,

> e.g., 3 traits are more informative than two. What if the 3 traits are
> selected on as a package for some particular environment? 

Yes - what if?

> I think this is common. 

But who knows?

Then the two traits, if accumulated through drift, would be more
> telling of evolutionary relationships.


> The best model of evolution is the "natural key" to taxa that
incorporates
> morphological and molecular cluster analyses when available. This
takes
> into account both synapomorphies (weighted separately for each node)
and
> autapomorphies.

And of course I would disagree that is necessarily so as per various
earlier postings and debates.

John Grehan

> _______________________
> Richard H. Zander
> Missouri Botanical Garden
> PO Box 299
> St. Louis, MO 63166 U.S.A.
> richard.zander at mobot.org
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> 
> From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu on behalf of Kirk Fitzhugh
> Sent: Sat 1/2/2010 8:17 PM
> To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> Subject: Re: [Taxacom] New synapomorphy for humans and orangutans
> 
> 
> 
> Kinman wrote: "Declaring it a synapomorphy is at best premature."
> 
> Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem. It's not advocated
in
> science for nothing.
> 
> Kirk
> 
> ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
> J. Kirk Fitzhugh, Ph.D.
> 
> 
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