Re: A comment on cladistic characters

[Neil Whiteley-Bolton <sauropod@xs4all.nl>]

Dinogeorge@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 96-11-03 14:08:47 EST, bcurtice@ic.sunysb.edu (Brian
> Curtice) writes:
> 
> > I agree with Nick Longrich that quite often researchers today get
> > caught up in the battle frenzy that a cladogram can generate, for
> > here is a way to take data lifted right out of papers and pictures,
> > make some decisions (hopefully wise and well thought out) and,
> > wahla, a bona-fide scientific phylogeny fit for publication.  This
> > is a seductive power.  Have a low CI?  Add more characters!
> 
> I've been screaming for years about this aspect of cladistics to a perfectly
> deaf audience. Glad to see someone else has yaken up the cause. I call this
> "synapomorphy wars" in _Mesozoic Meanderings_ #2.

I think it was the paucity of character analysis which Brian was
referring to. Are you really claiming that this is a weakness of
phylogenetic systematics?

Regards,

Neil