This discussion sounds quite interesting; I wish I had the foggiest idea what you are
talking about. What is the basic premise of the paper referred to?
> Thanks Tony. I had read that paper too, but many years ago (did an honors
> paper in grad school on evolution of parthenogenesis in reptiles). In terms
> of "species", following the lineage species concept, there is no other word
> that fits here. Hennig might have trouble because a branching node may not
> easily occur... yet I can't help but think that if there is ANY variation
> then eventually a branch point in the old Cnemi phylogeny will occur. Of
> course, the problem comes when all the various hybrid forms of, say,
> uniparens, are given the same species name when they clearly do not
> interbreed. If truly following the lineage species concept (which appears
> to me to be consistent with Hennig's cladistics, if not all the others
> since) then each hybrid form of a unisexual would be a unique species. It
> is sort of bothersome to me when I read from various authors that asexuals
> are an "evolutionary dead end". I mean, consider that the majority of
> uni-celled organisms are asexual and most plants have at least an asexual
> portion of their life cycle. I suspect nobody would argue that bacteria
> evolve (antibiotic resistance, for example) and certainly plants evolve.
> Within the animal kingdom asexual forms occur in nearly every phylum... all
> of which evolve. so long as variation occurs, evolution is happening.
> Additionally if there is variation then Selection can occur. One hybrid
> form of "uniparens" may be selected over others, possibly resulting in
> extinction of the others. Who knows how many times this has already
> happened. Or, one spontaneous mutation may have selective advantage over
> the others (this could result in one of those branch points (nodes)
> cladistic species concept requires). Though, admittedly, it will happen at
> a much slower rate than with sexually reproducing species.
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