vert vs invert

[gator@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (c. brochu)]

With regard to Dr. McLeod's comments:
        I've noticed that, on average, vertebrate paleontologists are more
likely to include extant taxa in their studies than invertebrate
paleontologists.  Cladism spread first among neontologists; perhaps our
inclusion of living species (in my matrix, about one-third are extant)
increased the possibility that we would be infected by the neontological
literature.

        Any other thoughts?


Christopher Brochu
Department of Geological Sciences
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX 78712
512-458-4396