Re: DEFENDING MODERN BIOLOGY

["Timothy Williams" <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Ken Kinman wrote:

>      Thecodontia is a paraphyletic group, not a polyphyletic "trash-can".

Now that you mention it, it WAS a polyphyletic trash-can.  The Thecodontia 
became a receptacle for any Triassic reptile that appeared to be an 
archosaur and did not appear to be a dinosaur, crocodilian or pterosaur.  
I've seen _Longisquama_, _Sharovipteryx_ (_Podopteryx_) and _Hupehsuchus_ 
all shoehorned into the Thecodontia.  For the most part the Thecodontia was 
a paraphyletic waste-basket, but its membership became so broad and 
ill-defined that it occasionally the Thecodontia did become polyphyletic.

Come back Dr Holtz, all is forgiven!!!


Tim
________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com