On Malte Ebach’s use, misuse and abuse of paraphyletic groups

In his post Paraphyly Watch 2009, Malte Ebach discusses the subject paraphyletic groups using the terms use, misuse and abuse.

Malte defines misuse as: accepting paraphyletic groups* as informative (e.g., using them in analysis), and abuse as: treating paraphyly as being evolutionary or evidence for evolution (e.g., accepting non-monophyletic groups in taxonomy and evolutionary biology).

Malte is thus clear about that misuse and abuse of paraphyly is using it (i.e., accepting paraphyletic groups* as informative (e.g., using them in analysis) and treating paraphyly as being evolutionary or evidence for evolution (e.g., accepting non-monophyletic groups in taxonomy and evolutionary biology)).

It means that he defines use of paraphyly as misuse and abuse.

Since it means that his own discussions (here and later) about paraphyly is both misuse and abuse of paraphyly at the same time, they must be the “most outrageous misuse and/or abuse of Paraphyly for 2009″, and thus that he himself is the best candidate for his Pewter Leprechaun.

The world thus awaits his decision impatiently: will he award himself his own price the next month? It would be the first time ever that an awarder awards himself a price for being in disagreement with himself. Exactly when is the price to be awarded?