Re: Fossil Record 2 database

[Peter Sheehan <sheehan@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 5 May 1995, Barry Roth wrote:

> 
> Finally, I think my criticism is fundamental because it goes to the question
> of what the Benton study purports to measure and whether the units of
> measurement ("families") are good estimators of those phenomena.  (Also, I'd
> like to have a good answer for my son when he asks, in his innocent way,
> "Daddy, how many species are there in a family?" and "Is that the same for
> horses as for graptolites?")
> 
> 
My guess is that your son will be more interested in how families of 
horses or graptolites lived rather than how many species were in the 
family.  If the study of life on earth was just a matter of figuring out 
how many species were present now or in the past I would get out of the 
business.

Evolution is about morphologic change and adaptation to the environment.  
The sorting of species into families based on their morphology is a very 
useful tool.  There is no need to have a constant number of species in a 
family.  

Peter Sheehan