Transformed Cladistics, Taxonomy and Evolution

N. R. Scott-Ram

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511525759

This book examines the relationship between classification and evolutionary theory, with reference to the competing schools of taxonomic thinking. Emphasis is placed on one of these schools, the transformed cladists, who have attempted to reject all evolutionary thinking in classification and to cast doubt on evolution in general. The author examines the limits to this line of thought from a philosophical and methodological perspective rather than from a biological viewpoint. He concludes that transformed cladistics does not achieve what it claims and that it either implicity assumes a Platonic World View, or is unintelligible without taking into account evolutionary processes - the very processes it claims to reject. Through this analysis the author attempts to formulate criteria, of an objective and consistent nature, that can be used to judge competing methodologies and theories without resorting to any particular theoretical standpoint for justification. Philosophers of science, zoologists interested in taxonomy and evolutionary biologists will find this a compelling study of an area of biological thought that has been attracting a great deal of attention.

"...the present book is by far the most rigorous available, and its criticisms are much more pointed and direct. In particular, the critique of transformed cladism goes well beyond the usual rather bland remarks..." Geological Magazine

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-vi

Contents
pp vii-viii

Preface
pp ix-xii

Introduction
pp 1-6

PART I - ISSUES PERTAINING TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
pp 7-8

1 - Theoretical and descriptive attitudes in taxonomy
pp 9-38

PART II - THE STATUS OF THEORETICAL CLASSIFICATIONS
pp 39-40

2 - Evolutionary systematics and theoretical information
pp 41-65

3 - Phylogenetic cladistics and theoretical information
pp 66-102

PART III - THE STATUS OF DESCRIPTIVE CLASSIFICATIONS
pp 103-104

4 - Phenetics and the descriptive attitude
pp 105-132

5 - Transformed cladistics and the methodological turn
pp 133-159

6 - Transformed cladistics and evolution
pp 160-184

Notes
pp 185-212

Bibliography
pp 213-226

Author index
pp 227-230

Subject index
pp 231-238

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