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RE: Polyphyletic or Paraphyletic?

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Posted by: apeltes at Thu Oct 2 11:41:38 2008  [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by apeltes ]  
   

I recognize reptiles and I use the word all the time. It's an adjective... The word "reptile" means "all amniotes that did not evolve feathers or fur". That's a meaningful definition in certain contexts (like in a pet shop), but it is phylogenetically meaningless and it's subjective.

Do non-venomous snakes comprise a clade? The term is ubiquitous and useful... but it's utter nonsense in the phylogenetic sense.

What does "reptile" mean to you?


   

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