The Future of Phylogenetic Systematics
The Legacy of Willi Hennig

This book documents Willi Hennig's founding of phylogenetic systematics and the relevancy of his work for the future of cladistics.

David Williams (Edited by), Michael Schmitt (Edited by), Quentin Wheeler (Edited by)

9781107117648, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 21 July 2016

508 pages, 75 b/w illus. 1 table
25.2 x 19.4 x 2.5 cm, 1.23 kg

Willi Hennig (1913–76), founder of phylogenetic systematics, revolutionised our understanding of the relationships among species and their natural classification. An expert on Diptera and fossil insects, Hennig's ideas were applicable to all organisms. He wrote about the science of taxonomy or systematics, refining and promoting discussion of the precise meaning of the term 'relationship', the nature of systematic evidence, and how those matters impinge on a precise understanding of monophyly, paraphyly, and polyphyly. Hennig's contributions are relevant today and are a platform for the future. This book focuses on the intellectual aspects of Hennig's work and gives dimension to the future of the subject in relation to Hennig's foundational contributions to the field of phylogenetic systematics. Suitable for graduate students and academic researchers, this book will also appeal to philosophers and historians interested in the legacy of Willi Hennig.

List of contributors
Foreword Norman I. Platnick
Introduction David Williams, Quentin Wheeler and Michael Schmitt
1. Mission impossible: the childhood and youth of Willi Hennig Willi E. R. Xylander
2. Willi Hennig: a shy man behind a scientific revolution Michael Schmitt
3. Willi Hennig's legacy in the Nordic countries Ole Seberg, Torbjørn Ekrem, Jaakko Hyvönen and Per Sundberg
4. Hennigian systematics in France, a historical approach with a glimpse of sociology Pascal Tassy
5. Are we all cladists? Andrew V. Z. Brower
6. How much of Hennig is in present-day cladistics? Michael Schmitt
7. The evolution of Willi Hennig's phylogenetic considerations Rainer Willmann
8. What we all learned from Hennig Gareth Nelson
9. Semaphoronts: 'the elements of biological systematics' Leandro C. S. Assis
10. Why should cladograms be dichotomous? René Zaragüeta Bagils and Sophie Pécaud
11. Hennig's auxiliary principle and reciprocal illumination revisited Randall D. Mooi and Anthony C. Gill
12. Dispersalism and neodispersalism Malte C. Ebach and David M. Williams
13. Molecular data in systematics: a promise fulfilled, a future beckoning Ward C. Wheeler and Gonzalo Giribet
14. Hennig, Løvtrup, evolution and biology Robin Bruce
15. Willi Hennig as Philosopher Olivier Reippel
16. Hennig and hierarchies Charissa S. Varma
17. Chain, tree, and network: the development of phylogenetic systematics in the context of genealogical visualization and information graphics Nobuhiro Minaka
18. The relational view of phylogenetic hypotheses and what it tells us on the phylogeny/classification relation problem Stéphane Prin
19. This struggle for survival: systematic biology and institutional leadership Quentin Wheeler
Index.

Subject Areas: Genetics [non-medical PSAK], Evolution [PSAJ], Taxonomy & systematics [PSAB]