A review of "A Framework for Post-Phylogenetic Systematics"
Is this book some kind of
parody? Here is an extended quote from the presentation above:
"Discrepancies between classical results and morphological and molecular cladograms are explained through heterophyletic inference of deep ancestral taxa, coarse priors leading to Bayesian Solution of total evidence, self-nesting ladders that can reverse branching order, and a superoptimization protocol that aids in distinguishing pseudoextinction from budding evolution. It determines direction of transformative evolution through Dollo evaluation at the taxon level. The genus as a basic, practical unit of evolution is postulated for taxa with dissilient evolution. Scientific intuition is defended as highly developed heuristics based on physical principles. The geometric mean and Fibonacci series in powers of the golden ratio explain distributions of measurements of the form (a–)b–c(–d) when close to zero. This series is basic both to S. J. Gould’s speciational reformulation of macroevolution and to psychologically salient numbers."
Self-nesting ladders that can reverse branching order? The golden mean? Psychologically salient numbers???
Although I like the idea of Fibonacci numbers showing up in cladistic analyses (it would prove that God exists and is a Pythagorean!), I find it difficult to believe that a naturalistic scientist would make such wild claims. And what on earth is a "psychologically salient number" á la Stephen Jay Gould, anyway?
But sure, I might have misunderstood something. Perhaps this book really does contain the answer to the eternal questions. Or at least a workable framework for post-phylogenetic systematics. For that reasons, I give it three stars.
"Discrepancies between classical results and morphological and molecular cladograms are explained through heterophyletic inference of deep ancestral taxa, coarse priors leading to Bayesian Solution of total evidence, self-nesting ladders that can reverse branching order, and a superoptimization protocol that aids in distinguishing pseudoextinction from budding evolution. It determines direction of transformative evolution through Dollo evaluation at the taxon level. The genus as a basic, practical unit of evolution is postulated for taxa with dissilient evolution. Scientific intuition is defended as highly developed heuristics based on physical principles. The geometric mean and Fibonacci series in powers of the golden ratio explain distributions of measurements of the form (a–)b–c(–d) when close to zero. This series is basic both to S. J. Gould’s speciational reformulation of macroevolution and to psychologically salient numbers."
Self-nesting ladders that can reverse branching order? The golden mean? Psychologically salient numbers???
Although I like the idea of Fibonacci numbers showing up in cladistic analyses (it would prove that God exists and is a Pythagorean!), I find it difficult to believe that a naturalistic scientist would make such wild claims. And what on earth is a "psychologically salient number" á la Stephen Jay Gould, anyway?
But sure, I might have misunderstood something. Perhaps this book really does contain the answer to the eternal questions. Or at least a workable framework for post-phylogenetic systematics. For that reasons, I give it three stars.
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