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Vol. 95, Issue 19, 11043-11046, September 15, 1998

Perspective
 Default taxonomy: Ernst Mayr's view of the microbial world

(taxonomic domains/phylogeny/universal ancestor/biological classification)

Carl R. Woese*

Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B103 Chemical and Life Sciences Laboratory, MC-110, 601 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801

Contributed by Carl R. Woese, July 29, 1998

This perspective is a response to a taxonomic proposal by E. Mayr ["Two empires or three?" (1998) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95, 9720-9723]. Mayr has suggested that the now accepted classification of life into three primary domains, Archaea, Bacteria, and Eucarya---originally proposed by myself and others---be abandoned in favor of the earlier Prokaryote-Eukaryote classification. Although the matter appears a taxonomic quibble, it is not that simple. At issue here are differing views as to the nature of biological classification, which are underlain by differing views as to what biology is and will be---matters of concern to all biologists.

*   e-mail: carl{at}ninja.life.uiuc.edu.

Copyright © 1998 by The National Academy of Sciences  0027-8424/98/9511043-4$2.00/0
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