Re: transitions abound -Reply

[JAMES SUTTON <SUTTON.JAMES@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV>]

Another problem involves the psychology of classification. Take, for
example, a series of maybe 50 snail shells and tell a person that they
represent 5 different species and he'll make five different piles of shells. 
Tell him that they represent transitions between one species and four
more and he'll make a trail of shells going from one pile to four more in
some way.  A lot of what we see depends upon what we expect to see.

Evolution uber alles!

Wiwaxia

>>> "Mike Styzen  Shelf Expl, 588-4308" <mstyzen@shellus.com>
05/07/98 09:07am >>>
Transitions do indeed abound.  At the micropaleo level just about
everything is transitional.  This is one of the things that makes my
job interesting.  I seriously doubt that you would be able to impress a
non specialist with examples of transitional nannoplankton
species though...too bad.
Mike

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|      Michael J. Styzen               Phone: (504) 728-4308            |
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