Re: Kileskus and Proceratosauridae

["T. Michael Keesey" <keesey@gmail.com>]

On Tue, Mar 30, 2010 at 4:06 AM, Jaime Headden <qi_leong@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Â Names *Kileskus aristotocus*, and argues a peculiarity: The name 
> Proceratosauridae Rauhut et al. 2010 does not satisfy ICZN Art 13.1.1, in 
> that a differential diagnosis was not provided.

Article 13.1.1 states that names after 1930 must "be accompanied by a
description or definition that states in words characters that are
purported to differentiate the taxon," or follow the provisions of
13.1.2 (refer to such a statement in another publication) or 13.1.3
(be proposed as a replacement name). It seems to me that the cladistic
analysis by Rauhut (2010) should furnish a suite of synapomorphies
which would fit the bill.

> In addition, the authors argue that when establishing this taxon, it is 
> provided as a monophyletic clade, which Averianov et al claim as a tautology, 
> as every clade is apparently monophyletic.

Not "apparently", "by definition". A clade is a monophyletic taxon.
The phrase "monophyletic clade" is redundant, like "round planet" or
"positively-charged proton".
-- 
T. Michael Keesey
Technical Consultant and Developer, Internet Technologies
Glendale, California
http://tmkeesey.net/