RE: Rhynchocephalia

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>]

> From: david peters [mailto:davidrpeters@earthlink.net]
>
> Hmm. That's a strange pair.
> It doesn't make sense with what I know.

If evolution were solely revealed by ecomorphotypes, no, it wouldn't. But since 
phylogeny is better reconstructed by the recognizing
descent with modification in more than just the grossly obvious characters, we 
have to look at all the critters' details. And that's
where this "seemingly unnatural marriage" (to quote John) is manifested.

> Merck 1997 is cited a half dozen times according to Google. I assume this is 
> the abstract.
>
> David Peters
>
Merck 1997 is the disseration; the SVP presentation was in 2003.

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                Vertebrate Paleontologist
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
        Mailing Address:
                Building 237, Room 1117
                College Park, MD  20742

http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite
Phone:  301-405-4084    Email:  tholtz@geol.umd.edu
Fax (Geol):  301-314-9661       Fax (CPS-ELT): 301-405-0796>