Philosophy, evolution, and taxonomy, or: what biological classification is for? (practicising biologist?s comments on some recent papers by PODANY)

Munis Entomology Zoology

R. B. Holynski¹ 

关键词: Classification;    evolution;    nomenclature;    paraphyly;    philosophy;    taxonomy;   

DOI  :  

学科分类：昆虫学

来源: Munis Research Group

【 摘 要 】

 Recently PODANY (2009; 2010a, b) published some papers promoting several (individually not novel, but composed into ? to my knowledge ? rather original complex) ideas from the notoriously controversial ?triple junction? area between philosophy, evolution, and taxonomy. His main (at least in my evaluation) implicit thesis (that biological facts should be interpreted according to philosophical theorems) led him to several explicit conclusions, the two most important from the practicising taxonomist?s point of view being: 1) that diachronic classifications are ambiguous, incompatible with either Linnean hierachy or Darwinian evolutionary postulates, and therefore only synchronic systems are sound; and 2) that binominal nomenclature is illogical and unnecessary, therefore genus names should be abandoned or fixed as parts of uninomina. As in my opinion these ideas should not be left uncommented, I wish to present some critical remarks here

【 授权许可】

Unknown