[Taxacom] Molecules wins over morphology again

[John Grehan]

Here is a recent example of how prejudice against morphological
systematics and the resulting orangutan theory of human origin can
adversely affect publication opportunities. 

 

"Thank you for submitting this manuscript. It has been assessed by one
of our senior editors, who sees no basis for your argument that orangs
and humans are sister taxa (based on your analysis of phenotypic data),
or for your assertion that (authors) are wrong to believe that molecular
data are sufficient to prove that chimps and humans are monophyletic.
Unfortunately we cannot consider your submission further."

 

Note how the editor is able to just dismiss the published evidence as
non existent (no basis). What is truly bizarre is that this rejection of
morphological evidence having any independent scientific validity comes
from the editor of a journal that has anatomy as its core subject!!!! 

 

Anyway, it has just been brought to my attention that Zootaxa not only
allowed molecular evidence to be contested, but also promoted a debate
with respect to fish systematics. So perhaps we will have more luck with
this journal by drawing attention to the same kind of problem in higher
primate systematics.

 

 

John Grehan

 

 

Dr. John R. Grehan
Director of Science and Research
Buffalo Museum of Science
1020 Humboldt Parkway
Buffalo, NY 14211-1193

email: jgrehan at sciencebuff.org
Phone: (716) 896-5200 ext 372
Fax: (716) 897-6723

Panbiogeography
http://www.sciencebuff.org/biogeography_and_evolutionary_biology.php

Ghost moth research
http://www.sciencebuff.org/systematics_and_evolution_of_hepialdiae.php

Human evolution and the great apes
http://www.sciencebuff.org/human_origin_and_the_great_apes.php