Fwd: [ontolog-forum] Chickenosaurus

loosely related?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John F Sowa <sowa@bestweb.net>
Date: Wed, May 4, 2016 at 8:02 PM
Subject: [ontolog-forum] Chickenosaurus
To: ontolog-forum <ontolog-forum@googlegroups.com>


Biological types were the inspiration for "natural kinds"
that are organized in well-defined trees with no cross links.

But artifacts are much harder to classify because people keep
inventing new versions and combinations.  Geological formations
are also harder to classify because the genetic constraints
that keep species distinct don't apply to geology.

Gene editing is now blurring the distinction between natural
kinds and artifacts.  Genes can even be transplanted between
plants and animals.

Today, some scientists are even "reverse engineering" evolution.
Since birds evolved from dinosaurs, they're experimenting with
the easily available chicken eggs to create a "chickenosaurus":
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/why-scientists-on-two-continents-are-growing-dinosaur-parts-on-chickens-McGill-University-Hans-Larsson?trk_source=recommended

This is just one of many reasons why trees are not a good way
to organize ontological categories.

John

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