[Taxacom] Save Order Bromeliales

[Richard Zander]

The phylogenetic "common ancestor" is unnamed, unobservable and a hidden
cause. It is more than a locum tenens for a taxon that is being
investigated; it is never investigated. Maximumm parsimony would be the
naming of as many common ancestors as possible ("superoptimization"). 

Regarding which classification might be best, Linnaean classification
models nothing in nature. Neither clades nor sequential macroevolution
are directly modeled. What is good about it is its simple, two means of
indicating relationship, nesting and contiguity in lists, and it never
never forces a name into synonymy or to be split because of holophyly.

If one really needs more telegraphing of inferred evolutionary
relationships in classification, use PhyloCode for classification by
cladograms or the mythic MacroevoCode for classification by sequential
generation of one taxon from another.

* * * * * * * * * * * *
Richard H. Zander
Missouri Botanical Garden, PO Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166-0299 USA  
Web sites: http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/resbot/ and
http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/bfna/bfnamenu.htm
Modern Evolutionary Systematics Web site:
http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/resbot/21EvSy.htm

-----Original Message-----
From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
[mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Ashley Nicholas
Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 9:15 AM
To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu; Kenneth Kinman
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Save Order Bromeliales

[snip]
In consequence I shall probably be left fielding questions from
horticulturalists, game parks and wildlife managers (in the depths of
places like Botswana) asking me to explain why s/he must now place the
Aloes under a family they have never heard of. In response I have to
shrug my shoulders and say "well they come from a common ancestor." as
if that is all the justification I need.