Taxonomy, the fading field 2 Jun 2009 A very nice piece in The Scientist (free registration) points out how traditional taxonomy is being replaced by the sexier molecular techniques (no mention of barcoding), and how this means that important connections between species are being missed, as they rapidly disappear. Species and systematics Systematics
Creationism and Intelligent Design John Ray 3 May 20193 May 2019 This has been submitted as an entry in the Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science, and it is offered here for your delectation and delight… Title of entry: John Ray Synonyms: John Wray; Joanne Raio, Joannis Raii [Lat.] Life John Ray (1627/8–1705, known as Wray until 1670) was an English clergyman… Read More
Biology Are species theoretical objects? 27 Oct 201328 Oct 2013 [Note: this is a paper that has sat in my drawer for a while now. I am posting it to follow from my last post on the theological origins of species. If species are not ranks in biology, what are they?] It is often claimed that species are the units… Read More
Epistemology Evopsychopathy 2: The phylogenetic bracket 7 Dec 20122 Jan 2013 As noted, SB and EP have a very unfortunate tendency to reflect the status quo in their results and research questions. This is not unique to them. History, sociology, other fields of psychology (psychotherapy for gods’ sake!), and in my own profession, ethics, all have this “Pull of Privilege”. Somehow… Read More
But – is taxonomy being split into multiple subfields, or lumped in with other disciplines to become a superfield?
What seems to be happening is that taxonomy is dying as it is being overrun by one aspect of taxonomy, the molecular, to the detriment of field and museum taxonomy, for which there is no funding nor appreciable credit given. But without those aspects of taxonomic description and investigation, ecology, evolution and various other aspects that are fundamental to biology itself are incomprehensible. So we are seeing a major problem in the way biological research is being funded. One point that I find most intriguing here is that old-school taxonomy is alive and well in India, South and Latin America, and to a lesser extent in the Russian Federation. However, these tend to be local projects, so while the work done is of a good quality, it means large parts of the earth are presently not being well studied.