• OpenStars@discuss.online
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    4 months ago

    A monophyletic clade must include all descendants. A taxonomic group itself can hold anything.

    Viruses can also integrate DNA into cells and it sticks there forever sometimes, thus bypassing the tree entirely (making it a network, i.e. no longer acyclic thus no longer a tree).

    There is a lot of weirdness in the world, stranger than people have dreamed.:-P

    • dogsoahC@lemm.eeOP
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      4 months ago

      Fair enough. I just belong to the people who require a valid taxon to be monophyletic. (Btw., “clade” already implies monophyleti…city? Monophyleticness?)

      Also, shut up about viruses, they make a mess of everything and are beautifully chaotic and I hate them and I love them. xD

      • OpenStars@discuss.online
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        4 months ago

        I will never shut up about viruses - they are aliens on earth, or like something I dunno but they are so fucking cool!

        viruses