::I would say that the process of "lumping" and "splitting" is intimately connected to phylogenetics (not to cladistics) by the fact that reality is ambiguous, both in a momentary and in a historical perspective. This is actually the problem that cladists think is connected to the Linnean systematization, and try to solve with cladistics. However, cladistics does not solve the problem, but only transfers it into concepts, erroneously equalizing time with space. The problem (i.e., ambiguity) is actually the difference between reality and our comprehension of reality. This statement is extremely difficult to understand, although it is perfectly clear: the problem (i.e., ambiguity) is the difference between reality and our comprehension of reality. The problem to understand it may be due to that it is a difference, since a difference is unsolvable. This problem, that is, this fact, is consistently incorporated into concepts in a systematization of the Linnean kind (i.e., categories of categories). It means that the possibility for lumping and splitting is both necessary and unavoidable. An unambiguous conceptualization is simply impossible. The question whether this fact means that reality is ambiguous has to be answered with: yes. There is no way to escape this ambiguity. Mats Envall (presently at 83.254.20.53  ]