Systems and classifications

Abstract

There is no general agreement as to the definition of systematics, and of related words, such as taxonomy, biological system and classification. Capricious use of these and related terms is a very old plague of our discipline. Even in 1848, A. de Jussieu lamented the mixed use of the terms, methode and système. He finished his critical review of the literature by abandoning any hope of restoring the terms to what he believed to be their original, legitimate sense. Possibly matters are worse today, because of the widespread influence of some ill-inspired definitions, such as Simpson’s (1961) well-known ones:

• ‘Systematics is the scientific study of the kinds and diversity of organisms and of any and all relationships among them’ (Simpson, 1961, p.7).

• ‘Taxonomy is the theoretical study of classification, including its bases, principles, procedures, and rules’ (Simpson, 1961, p.11).

• ‘Zoological classification is the ordering of animals into groups (or sets) on the basis of their relationships, that is, of associations by contiguity, similarity, or both’ (Simpson, 1961, p.9).

If the goal of systematics is to depict relationships accurately, then any tradition that interferes with this goal should be abandoned.

K. de Queiroz and M.J. Donoghue (1988, p.332)