Open AccessGRADES IN THE EVOLUTION AND CLASSIFICATION OF INSECTS
Author(s) -
Mackerras I. M.
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
australian journal of entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1440-6055
pISSN - 1326-6756
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-6055.1967.tb02130.x
Subject(s) - biology , feature (linguistics) , biological classification , evolutionary biology , phylogenetics , zoology , ecology , linguistics , genetics , philosophy , gene
Grades of organization, of the kind recognized in vertebrates by de Beer and J. S. Huxley, are a conspicuous feature of the insects also. Four can be distinguished by well‐defined anagenetic gaps: apterygote; palaeopterous and exopterygote; neopterous and exopterygote; neopterous and endopterygote. As grades can be defined more clearly than phylogeny at higher taxonomic levels and the reverse is true at lower levels, it is suggested that a classification can be made to reflect both without confusing the user.