RE: Defending grades (Was: Re: Archaeopteryx (rant))

[grossber <grossber@grinnell.edu>]

Okay, the whole point of what I am saying is that these distinctions are 
arbitrary.  Humans make decisions as to how we should define different clades.
 Different people will define them differently (sometimes slightly, sometimes 
greatly).

All my original post was saying is that ancestral line cannot be the only 
defining characteristic of a cladogram.

You people sure are contentious and quite strident considering that there 
really is no right and wrong.  Look at the best cladogram from 10 years ago 
versus today.  In 10 years from now, expect even more changes.

-DG