Scientific Methods

Thursday, March 30, 2006

HOW THE WORLD SEES SCIENTISTS







Yesterday I had the privilege of both presenting a talk on Ecological Informatics or Eco-informatics and to listen to some thought-provoking presentations. One of the presenters “Marina Joubert from Southern Science really got me thinking about Science and Transformation. She asked that we all do a Google Image search with the word “Scientist” - http://images.google.com/images?q=scientist&hl=en

Well what you get is

Weird

White

Male

Wears glasses/goggles and a lab coat


All seem to be lab-rats holding a test tube

Having funny or no hair!

So how can we change this image?

Is this the real face of science?

What transformations are needed to make science more representative of our demography globally and nationally?

Do developing countries have scientists?

Do we spend all of our time wearing a white coat and living in wet lab?


Here are some links to the Summit and the Student Network

http://www.saeon.ac.za/students/




http://www.saeon.ac.za/2006/opening-of-the-saeon-summit/

VIDEO: LOST CIVILIZATION OF PERU

The Lost Civilisation of Peru - the rise and fall of the 'Greeks of the Andes'.

The UWC students have reviewed this material, but if you need to re-watch please ask me for the video material and I will supply it.

For the Pretoria Learners - please review the DVD provided to you. For the next few days I will be putting more Video material up to watch with links to where to get summaries and transcripts relating to the material.

Here is the Summary of the film

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/peru_prog_summary.shtml

Here is the link to a full transcript of the video

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/peru_trans.shtml

And finally please do a little bit of researching on the the web using "Goggle Images" and the search words "Moche" and "Ceramics" ... some of their stuff is really beautiful and but other stuff is well eh ... a little surprising... find out for yourself!!!!!!!!!!!

So why did I give you this video to watch...? Simply science has re-created the demise of this civilization and it shows just how vulnerable we really are. It was a fantastic civilization, with huge technology - it literally got a "desert to blossom" but in only 60 years this civilization collapsed into civil war and extinction! ALL it took was a mega El Nino that caused tremendous floods followed by a mega drought (30 years of no rain!!!!). Find out how we know this.

So please comment on your interpretations of the video and also your research into their culture..... (remember your contributions to the Weblog are included as part of the course assessement! .... see my original Course Description posted on 6th March 2006).

Cheers

Rich

DISCUSSION FORUMS AS LEARNING RESOURCES IN WEB-BASED EDUCATION

Please Review the following Article ... this might explain some of the whys? of this course.


DISCUSSION FORUMS AS LEARNING RESOURCES IN WEB-BASED EDUCATION

D. Helic, H. Maurer, and N. Scerbakov

Institute for Information processing and Computer Supported New Media
Graz University of Technology
Inffeldgasse 16c, 8010 Graz Austria


"Discussion forums are very popular and widely applied tools in Web-based education (WBE) systems. Usually, discussion forums are used by learners to discuss topics related to courseware, their current learning task, or the learning project they are working on. These discussion forums contain tremendous educational potential for future learners, since they contain question and answer dialogues, discussions, or examples made by previous learners. Thus, by simply reusing these discussion forums as new learning resources in WBE systems future learners would have very valuable learning information based on the hands-on experience of previous learners. However, implementing such a simple yet powerful idea in WBE systems is not a trivial task. Finding relevant information in discussion forums might be seen as a rather tedious task and the results of such process leave much to be desired. In this paper we present a simple tool that solves problems related to information retrieval in discussion forums and thus allows reuse of the forum content as new learning resources in WBE systems. "

http://coronet.iicm.edu/denis/pubs/ijca2004.pdf

Please add your comment so that I know that you have gone through this material.

Cheers

Rich

A LITTLE MORE ON THE BUILDING OF THE PYRAMIDS!

This video "follows worker Nakht as he is conscripted from his village to work on the Great Pyramid and moves his way up through the ranks to become a senior overseer. Through his eyes we see the construction of the greatest tomb known to man. Brilliantly polished casing stones clad the pyramid and the top sparkles with a gold capstone. The base covers 13 acres and is level to within less than an inch. It is aligned to the four points of the compass to near perfect precision. Inside, intricate networks of passageways lead to three chambers. In one the King will be laid to rest in a vast granite sarcophagus along with unimaginable riches. Here, he will become a medium for all his subjects between heaven and earth, god and man, life and death and all order will depend upon him. DocumentaryMany engineers believe that even with the help of 21st Century technology, they still could not build anything like the Great Pyramid. It is aligned with the four points of the compass with a near perfect precision and its base, which covers 13 acres, is level to within less than one inch. This accuracy is phenomenal in any epoch, and an almost supernatural feat for the ancient Egyptians. For 4,500 years, men have reeled before this most extraordinary of all human monuments - and asked how and why it was built."

Here are some links

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00007G1U9/computertalka-20/102-3714816-9025721

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/pyramid_builders_01.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/gateway_eternity_01.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/great_pyramid_01.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/pyramidology_01.shtml

Enjoy the reading and please get the comments rolling on Civilization.

Rich

choosing the topic for the powerpoint presentation

Hi: Rich, my powerpoint presentation will be about the controversy surrounding the discovery of the Australopithecus africanus by Professor Raymond Dart.

--
This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright, terms and conditions and
e-mail legal notice. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the
views of the CSIR.

CSIR E-mail Legal Notice
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_eMail_Legal_Notice.html

CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_Copyright.html

For electronic copies of the CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions and the CSIR
Legal Notice send a blank message with REQUEST LEGAL in the subject line to
HelpDesk@csir.co.za.

This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner,
and is believed to be clean.

scientific method topic

Hi i'm Dianah Nangammbi,am studying an honours degree in ecological informatics at the university of Weatern Cape.My topic on the scientific method course is about Kenyanthropus platyops, so your comments are more than welcomed.
thanks

--
This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright, terms and conditions and
e-mail legal notice. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the
views of the CSIR.

CSIR E-mail Legal Notice
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_eMail_Legal_Notice.html

CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_Copyright.html

For electronic copies of the CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions and the CSIR
Legal Notice send a blank message with REQUEST LEGAL in the subject line to
HelpDesk@csir.co.za.

This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner,
and is believed to be clean.

hi guyz

I am an ecological informatics student at the University of the Western Cape but now i am base at CSIR (PTA).The topic I have chosen "IS TURKANA BOY HOMO ERECTUS OR HOMO ERGASTER?".

anyone is welcomed for comments.

--
This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright, terms and conditions and
e-mail legal notice. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the
views of the CSIR.

CSIR E-mail Legal Notice
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_eMail_Legal_Notice.html

CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_Copyright.html

For electronic copies of the CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions and the CSIR
Legal Notice send a blank message with REQUEST LEGAL in the subject line to
HelpDesk@csir.co.za.

This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner,
and is believed to be clean.

scientific method topic

Hi everyone
I am doing an honours degree in ecological informatics.My topic ia about kenyanthropus platyops
your comments are more than welcomed anytime.

thanks

--
This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright, terms and conditions and
e-mail legal notice. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the
views of the CSIR.

CSIR E-mail Legal Notice
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_eMail_Legal_Notice.html

CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_Copyright.html

For electronic copies of the CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions and the CSIR
Legal Notice send a blank message with REQUEST LEGAL in the subject line to
HelpDesk@csir.co.za.

This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner,
and is believed to be clean.

topic booked

Hi Richard

I am Linette .the topic i choose is
Radiation Hominids:3 million years ago

--
This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright, terms and conditions and
e-mail legal notice. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the
views of the CSIR.

CSIR E-mail Legal Notice
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_eMail_Legal_Notice.html

CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_Copyright.html

For electronic copies of the CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions and the CSIR
Legal Notice send a blank message with REQUEST LEGAL in the subject line to
HelpDesk@csir.co.za.

This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner,
and is believed to be clean.

urgent

Hi Rich
I am Linette.i have a problem consening the topic we need to choose to write apresentation.Here at the topic list,All the topic that are interested in was already booked.can u please give me another topic.
I was booked neanderthensis not close family. I am the one who booked it first.because i did not know that, if you book it you must give a comment.some student booked it after me.what can i do.

thanks

--
This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright, terms and conditions and
e-mail legal notice. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the
views of the CSIR.

CSIR E-mail Legal Notice
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_eMail_Legal_Notice.html

CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_Copyright.html

For electronic copies of the CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions and the CSIR
Legal Notice send a blank message with REQUEST LEGAL in the subject line to
HelpDesk@csir.co.za.

This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner,
and is believed to be clean.

HINTS ON USING THIS WEBLOG

It was great to meet all my Pretoria students at the SAEON Student Summit. Following on our discussion I thought I would post some comments and instructions to help you to use the Weblog for efficiently.

When you first open this site only the most recent postings are viewable in the main window (last three days). Use the Archives on the right to get to browse earlier postings which are dated.

EVEN BETTER..... why not use the SEARCH - ah this is a really great feature of the Blogger Service - just type in "INSTRUCTIONS" and see happens.

PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!

Hey ... I know this was a bit nasty but please for this to work we need some discipline!!!!!!!!!!

When TO COMMEMT and when to POST A NEW ARTICLE

This depends on the target audiance. I asked you to book by using the comment section attached to the posted article so it was not necessary to post your bookings. (Sorry guys but instructions are instructions)

A POSTING is when you have something substantive to say of interest to the group.

A COMMENT is when you wish to add to a POSTED article - its primary audiance are the original author and those that have also added comments.

TO ILLUSTRATE......

....if there is something not clear in an INSTRUCTION or in an POSTEDARTICLE then add a comment.

....if you have done some researching and found some new views, topics etc you add as a NEW POSTING. You do not need to add since you should use the HTML view in your groupwise and this formatting is automatically captured when submitting to the Weblog.

SO WHEN TO USE THE ?

TAGS such as are for BOLD and are for ITALIC are only necessary whan replying to a comment.

Now to restate the HOUSE RULES!

....GET YOUR EMAILS PROPERLY SORTED OUT WITH SIGNATURE FILES THAT INCLUDE YOUR WEBLOG ADDRESS - FAILURE TO DO SO WILL MEAN YOUR POSTING WILL BE DELETED IMMEDIATELY - READ AND READ AGAIN AND THEN AGAIN THE INSTRUCTIONS ON SUBMITTING!

PLEASE USE CAPITAL LETTERS FOR THE SUBJECT TOPIC SO WE HAVE CONSISTENCY ON THE WEBLOG

......AND PLEASE USE THE HTML VIEW OF YOUR GROUPWISE SO THAT HYPERLINKS ARE ACTIVATED AND FORMATING IS DONE ACCORDING TO YOUR EMAIL.


IF THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES I WILL HAVE TO PUT IN MODERATION CONTROL.

What is moderation?

This no more than a filter, and is usually used to screen out anti-social comment/behaviour on a discussion forum of a Weblog. In this case it is to ensure reasonable consistency in how material is prepared for the WEBLOG.

Punctuation

Being a Weblog at an Institution of Higher Education it is not suitable to use sms language so language should be reasobaly formal so you should not use u for you and sentence start with a CAPITAL LETTER. Your NAME should also start with a Capital letter. Use commas and ensure your paragraphs are clearly deliminated.

The style of your personal Weblog is up to you to define!

PLEASE ADD YOUR WEBLOG URL TO YOUR GROUPWISE SIGNATURE FILE.

FINNALY YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THIS WEBLOG WILL COUNT 10% OF THE TOTAL SCIENTIFIC METHODS MARK

That is enough instruction for one POSTING, hope your PowerPoints are getting started!

Cheers

Rich


unbooking of topics

hi guys

sorry for the inconvience, am not going to use this topics, u r free to use them

IF LIVING HOMO FLORESIENSIS WERE TO BE FOUND WOULD THEY GO TO A SCHOOL OR A ZOO? or LINK BETWEEN HOMO RUDOLFENSIS AND THE ORIGINAL H. HABILIS

regards
Evelyn

--
This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright, terms and conditions and
e-mail legal notice. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the
views of the CSIR.

CSIR E-mail Legal Notice
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_eMail_Legal_Notice.html

CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_Copyright.html

For electronic copies of the CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions and the CSIR
Legal Notice send a blank message with REQUEST LEGAL in the subject line to
HelpDesk@csir.co.za.

This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner,
and is believed to be clean.

Ramapulana Nkoana

whatz up guys

I am an ecological informatics student at the University of the Western Cape but now i am base at CSIR (PTA).The topic I have chosen is "Australian fossils a challenge to Africa theory".

anyone is welcomed for comments.

--
This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright, terms and conditions and
e-mail legal notice. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the
views of the CSIR.

CSIR E-mail Legal Notice
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_eMail_Legal_Notice.html

CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_Copyright.html

For electronic copies of the CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions and the CSIR
Legal Notice send a blank message with REQUEST LEGAL in the subject line to
HelpDesk@csir.co.za.

This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner,
and is believed to be clean.

topic choosen

hi rich
I am netshiheni Linette

the topic that i am interest in is
NEANDERTHALENSIS NOT CLOSE FAMILY OR

--
This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright, terms and conditions and
e-mail legal notice. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the
views of the CSIR.

CSIR E-mail Legal Notice
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_eMail_Legal_Notice.html

CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_Copyright.html

For electronic copies of the CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions and the CSIR
Legal Notice send a blank message with REQUEST LEGAL in the subject line to
HelpDesk@csir.co.za.

This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner,
and is believed to be clean.

booking a topic

Hi Rich

IF LIVING HOMO FLORESIENSIS WERE TO BE FOUND WOULD THEY GO TO A SCHOOL OR A ZOO? or LINK BETWEEN HOMO RUDOLFENSIS AND THE ORIGINAL H. HABILIS

regards
Evelyn

======================================
Ms Evelyn Maleka
CILLA CSIR
P.O. Box 395
Pretoria, 0001
Tel: (012) 841 2133
Fax: 012 842 7024.
cell: 0822921415
Email: emaleka@csir.co.za

--
This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright, terms and conditions and
e-mail legal notice. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the
views of the CSIR.

CSIR E-mail Legal Notice
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_eMail_Legal_Notice.html

CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_Copyright.html

For electronic copies of the CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions and the CSIR
Legal Notice send a blank message with REQUEST LEGAL in the subject line to
HelpDesk@csir.co.za.

This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner,
and is believed to be clean.

choosing a topic

Hi Richard

I would like to choose Out of Africa Hypothesis: more evidence as my topic for powerpoint slide presentation.

kind regards
lufuno mukwevho

--
This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright, terms and conditions and
e-mail legal notice. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the
views of the CSIR.

CSIR E-mail Legal Notice
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_eMail_Legal_Notice.html

CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_Copyright.html

For electronic copies of the CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions and the CSIR
Legal Notice send a blank message with REQUEST LEGAL in the subject line to
HelpDesk@csir.co.za.

This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner,
and is believed to be clean.

booked topic

hi Rich

i am also interested in this topic

WHY HOMO SAPIENS SURVIVED AND NEANDERTHALS DIED OUT?

kinds regard
Maleka Evelyn

======================================
Ms Evelyn Maleka
CILLA CSIR
P.O. Box 395
Pretoria, 0001
Tel: (012) 841 2133
Fax: 012 842 7024.
cell: 0822921415
Email: emaleka@csir.co.za

--
This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright, terms and conditions and
e-mail legal notice. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the
views of the CSIR.

CSIR E-mail Legal Notice
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_eMail_Legal_Notice.html

CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_Copyright.html

For electronic copies of the CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions and the CSIR
Legal Notice send a blank message with REQUEST LEGAL in the subject line to
HelpDesk@csir.co.za.

This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner,
and is believed to be clean.

scientific method topic

Hi Rich
I can't see whether the topic i choose is taken,if so pls paste the one about cladogram.

kind regards
dianah

--
This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright, terms and conditions and
e-mail legal notice. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the
views of the CSIR.

CSIR E-mail Legal Notice
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_eMail_Legal_Notice.html

CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_Copyright.html

For electronic copies of the CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions and the CSIR
Legal Notice send a blank message with REQUEST LEGAL in the subject line to
HelpDesk@csir.co.za.

This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner,
and is believed to be clean.

PROJECT TOPICS STILL AVAILABLE?

Hi

The following topics are still available - want to know more? Simply cut and paste into the "SEARCH THIS BLOG" at the top of this page.


WHO WAS THE EARLIEST TOOLMAKER?

WHAT IS OUR COMMON ANCESTOR THAT WE SHARE WITH THE GREAT APES?

RADIATION OF HOMINIDS: 3 MILLION YEARS AGO

IF LIVING HOMO FLORESIENSIS WERE TO BE FOUND WOULD THEY GO TO A SCHOOL OR A ZOO?

KENYANTHROPUS PLATYOPS : AN ENTIRELY NEW BRANCH ON OUR FAMILY TREE.

AFRICAN APE-MAN'S HAND UNEARTHED

To refresh your memory here is a link to my original posting for instructions.

http://bcb703.blogspot.com/2006/03/scientific-methodology-projects.html


David has provided us with an Abstract about this topic - really fascinating you can view his posting at

http://bcb703.blogspot.com/2006/03/power-point-abstract-david-vaughan.html

I think we should all following the example and post abstracts for the first the First Friday in April (sorry I cannot get to the Windows Calendar on this machine!)

Good Luck

Rich

scientific method topic

HI Rich, i have chosen a topic about the specie Homo egarster (Turkana boy)
Please paste it for me.

Kind regards
Dianah

--
This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright, terms and conditions and
e-mail legal notice. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the
views of the CSIR.

CSIR E-mail Legal Notice
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_eMail_Legal_Notice.html

CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_Copyright.html

For electronic copies of the CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions and the CSIR
Legal Notice send a blank message with REQUEST LEGAL in the subject line to
HelpDesk@csir.co.za.

This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner,
and is believed to be clean.

chosen a topic

dear Rich

I have chosen the topic below for my power point presentation

topic: Are Homo sapiens sapiens practicing cannibalism?

--
This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright, terms and conditions and
e-mail legal notice. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the
views of the CSIR.

CSIR E-mail Legal Notice
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_eMail_Legal_Notice.html

CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions
http://mail.csir.co.za/CSIR_Copyright.html

For electronic copies of the CSIR Copyright, Terms and Conditions and the CSIR
Legal Notice send a blank message with REQUEST LEGAL in the subject line to
HelpDesk@csir.co.za.

This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner,
and is believed to be clean.

my bloger

Hi Richard
 
I am interested in the early hominids as prey or predators.
 
kinds regard
Maleka Evelyn
student number: 2656783

Wood & Collard's "Human Genus..."

Wood & Collard's "Human Genus..."


After reading the paper by Wood and Collard several times, I noticed that the paper does not mention Australopithecus afarensis (Lucy) except in review of two cladograms as opposing view points from other authors. I was rather concerned, since A. afarensis is probably one of the most important paleoanthopological finds in history, discovered in 1974 in the Northern Rift Valley in Ethiopia in the Hadar region.

It is suggested that A. afarensis may be the basis for human evolution, and that this species marked the transition from a completely acronomic life-style to bipedalism.

In one of my earlier comment entries on the blog site, I mentioned that in my opinion the removal of A. afarensis and A. garhi strengthened the hypothesis that Homo habilis and H. rudolfensis more strongly represent the Australopithecus genus, since there is a stronger definite character difference between both genuses without the confusion of the inclusion of A. afarensis and garhi, which both have a definite mix of features (mix of ape-like and human-like features)...I posed the question of exclusion to the senior author of the paper "The Human Genus" to which he responded the following:

"A. afarensis is masquerading under the binominal 'Praeanthropus africanus'." Binominal is the term in scientific language given for something that shares two names. "Praeanthropus afarensis is the result of a cladistic analysis carried out by Strait et al. (1977), which suggested that Australopithecus afarensis was the sister taxon Australopithecus africanus and other later hominins. The authors argued that the continuation of the use of the same genus name for A. afarensis and A. africanus, made it inevitable that the genus Australopithecus would be a paraphyletic taxon." (The term paraphyletic means very basically one clade minus another clade, for example, monophyletic groups are called clades, consisting of what is considered as being the only natural kind of group (a clade remember, is a theoretical family tree, representative of theoretical species only, and is not a true family tree of known individuals like your mother, father, aunt, sister etc.). Lets make a theoretical example to explain: If we took a non flying insect and a flying insect, which are both insects, and suggesting that they evolved along separate paths, if we take the non flying insects (in theory now, not true!) they would be a paraphyletic group, since an individual insect can't be defined as the non-flying insect and all its descendants, but rather as one clade minus another, or, the non flying insects minus the flying insects...this is confusing. [A search for the term "Paraphyletic taxon" is explained as: "a group of organisms in which the most recent common ancestor of all those organisms and some, but not all, of that ancestor's descendents are included. Paraphyletic taxa are recognized in Linnean and evolutionary systematics but not in cladistics

( http://www.palaeos.com/Systematics/Cladistics/paraphyletic.htm Accessed: 17/3/06 at 20:021).

Based on Strait et al. (1977), Wood explains that the suggested hypodigm [The definition of a hypodigm is all the material of a species available to a taxonomist] of A. afarensis be transferred to a different genus, that of Praeanthropus Senyurek, 1955, but, if Praeanthropus was used as the genus name, then the species name of afarensis no longer had priority, since Weinert's species name of Meganthropus africanus (yes, africanus), introduced in 1950, had priority over A. afarensis Johanson et al. 1978. This is rather confusing, however, the change in nomenclature (Name classification) would result in two hominin species called "africanus" (Australopithecus africanus Dart, 1925, and Praeanthropus africanus (Weinert, 1950), Senyurek, 1955).

Application was made to the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) to have the specific name africanus Weinert, 1950 suppressed. The ICZN upheld the application in 1999. The ICZN also ruled that a news report in the "New Scientist" should have priority over Johanson et al., 1978. This ruling runs opposite to the guidelines set out in the ICZN handbook and Wood suggests that it be disregarded. Wood suggests therefore that if the A. afarensis hypodigm is removed from Autralopithecus then it should be referred to as Praeanthropus afarensis (Johanson et al., 1978), Strait et al. 1997.

In addition, Dr. Wood explained to me that the reason A. garhi was not mentioned in his paper was because it had not been discovered yet.

Dr. Wood suggests some reading for us class-mates, of the booklet:
"Human Evolution: A Very Short Introduction," with a description of the book available at http://www.oup.co.uk/isbn/0-19-280360-3.

I hope the above answers some questions. It certainly made me realise just how detailed the science can be. In addition, my initial assumptions based on my interpretation (and suspicion) of "The Human Genus," were incorrect.

Cheers
David Vaughan










David Vaughan
Senior aquarist, Quarantine
Two Oceans Aquarium
Cape Town, South Africa

dvaughan@aquarium.co.za
davidvaughan.b-logging.com
(021) 418 38 23