Re: Disparaging Popper

["Scott Hartman" <scott_hartman@hotmail.com>]

> > > ...then wouldn't your confirmation demonstrate that your logic in drawing 
> > > your conclusions is consistent with philogenetic concepts?
Do you see demonstrating consistency of logic as a successful prediction of 
the implications of your hypothesis?<<<

    Well put.  Consistancy of logic with prevailing paradigms.  Of course, 
real tests come when paradigms shift, and we see what survives the change.  
However, the current dynamism of maniraptoran phylogeny allows for 
predictions to be made as to what a robust phylogeny should look like, once 
one emerges.  I won't be doing that explicitly though, I actually will be 
using phylogenetic position and my funtional arguements to establish 
mechanical units and evolutionarily stable configurations (ESCs) sensu 
Schwenk, that allows inferences as to the origin of of characters for whom 
data is still unkown.  By making predictions based on higher taxa and taxa 
for whom the data is preent, but currently unstudied, I'm hoping to 
circumvent the problem that arises when requiring discoveries of species or 
generic level animals that are currently unkown.  The data for discovered 
specimens can be found quickly (by myself or others) and by using higher 
level taxa, I am spreading out the luck factor so that most any Maniraptoran 
can be viewed as consistent or not with my theoretical frammework.

Sheesh, that was a mouthful.

Scott
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