Monophyly

[NJPharris@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/18/99 2:41:07 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
smithjb@sas.upenn.edu writes:

> > You may rest easy; Dinosauria is not at risk.

>    Unless we determine at some point that it truly ISN'T monphyletic....

Well, as has been mentioned before, "the clade containing the most recent 
common ancestor of _Triceratops_ and birds and all descendents of that common 
ancestor" is going to be monophyletic no matter what, even if it happens also 
to contain crocodiles, ichthyosaurs, bats, squids, or oak trees.

Strict adherents to PT will continue to call this clade "Dinosauria" no 
matter what it ends up containing, until it reaches the point of being 
synonymous with some earlier-defined clade.

Nick P.