2:00 PM - 2:15 PM
[MZZ41-02] The role of Epistemic Virtue in the Classification of Thecodont.
Keywords:history of paleontology, Thecodont, epistemic virtue, classification, evolutionary taxonomy, cladistics
Thecodont is a taxonomic group that modern paleontologists no longer recognize.
The classification of Thecodont has undergone significant changes over time, reflecting conflicts between evolutionary taxonomy and cladistics, which are methodologies of systematics. For nearly forty years, paleontologists affirmed the validity of Thecodont as a taxonomic group under evolutionary taxonomy. In the 1980s, many paleontologists who championed cladistics argued that Thecodont was an inappropriate taxon. By the 1990s, cladistics replaced evolutionary taxonomy in paleontology, and the majority of paleontologists have abandoned the use of Thecodont following the adoption of cladistics.
Previous historical studies on debates over biological classification between evolutionary taxonomy and cladistics have tended to focus on their differing conceptions of natural groups (in this presentation, I use this term to refer to biologically real groups).
In this presentation, I examine the claim that, in addition to the issue of natural groups, a tension concerning the stability of classification between evolutionary taxonomy and cladistics influenced the classification of Thecodont. This aspect has been overlooked in previous studies on conflicts between these methodologies.
Furthermore, I discuss the idea that epistemic virtues played a role in disputes over classification between proponents of these methodologies, and that a shift in dominant epistemic virtues within the paleontological community, which coincided with the replacement of evolutionary taxonomy by cladistics, contributed to the decline of Thecodont in paleontology.
The classification of Thecodont has undergone significant changes over time, reflecting conflicts between evolutionary taxonomy and cladistics, which are methodologies of systematics. For nearly forty years, paleontologists affirmed the validity of Thecodont as a taxonomic group under evolutionary taxonomy. In the 1980s, many paleontologists who championed cladistics argued that Thecodont was an inappropriate taxon. By the 1990s, cladistics replaced evolutionary taxonomy in paleontology, and the majority of paleontologists have abandoned the use of Thecodont following the adoption of cladistics.
Previous historical studies on debates over biological classification between evolutionary taxonomy and cladistics have tended to focus on their differing conceptions of natural groups (in this presentation, I use this term to refer to biologically real groups).
In this presentation, I examine the claim that, in addition to the issue of natural groups, a tension concerning the stability of classification between evolutionary taxonomy and cladistics influenced the classification of Thecodont. This aspect has been overlooked in previous studies on conflicts between these methodologies.
Furthermore, I discuss the idea that epistemic virtues played a role in disputes over classification between proponents of these methodologies, and that a shift in dominant epistemic virtues within the paleontological community, which coincided with the replacement of evolutionary taxonomy by cladistics, contributed to the decline of Thecodont in paleontology.