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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