The discussion revolves around the classification of birds known as Palmipedes, exploring whether this group still exists and its historical context in avian classification. Participants examine the concept of Palmipedes in relation to modern understanding of bird classification and genetics.
Participants express differing views on the relevance and validity of the Palmipedes classification, with some acknowledging its historical significance while others question its current applicability. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the status of Palmipedes in modern taxonomy.
Participants reference historical classification methods and the evolution of scientific understanding, highlighting the limitations of early taxonomic approaches based on physical characteristics alone.
AlephZero said:According to https://www.wordnik.com/words/palmipedes it was part of the one of the early attempts to classify birds. Putting "all birds with webbed feet that swim" into one category seemed like a good scientific idea in 1774 - but not now that we know about DNA.
Note: the Century Dictionary is (was?) a reputable source of information when it was first published, about 120 years ago. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_Dictionary