turtle origins?

["Ken Kinman" <kinman@hotmail.com>]

    I've forgotten Gauthier's exact definition of Reptilia, but I hope he 
didn't use turtles in the definition (which would be like using monotremes 
to anchor Mammalia).
     I think it is fairly probable, perhaps even likely, that turtles are 
either primitive diapsids (which could make Reptilia a synonym of Diapsida) 
or even saurian diapsids (which could make Reptilia a synonym of Sauria).
     Pretty soon even the cladists will be divided on what Reptilia is, and 
won't that be a fine mess.  I don't want to return to the days of 
authoritarian eclecticism, but the pendulum has swung way too far in the 
other direction, allowing authoritarian cladism to begin taking root.  That 
will only increase the numbers of reactionary Feducciaries who not only 
reject cladistic "classification", but cladistic "analysis" as well.  I 
don't think such pendulum swings are either healthy or productive.  It can 
only lead to instability, confusion, and and other forms of heuristic 
degradation.  But I am too tired to think about it any more tonight.  Need 
to unwind and get some sleep.
                   --------Ken Kinman
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