Phenetic and DNA taxonomy; a comment on Waugh.

Sir, This correspondence attempts to clarify two important issues relevant to the DNA barcoding initiative raised in Waugh’s otherwise, cogent and useful review. The first issue concerns the way that Waugh presents the analytic approach to DNA-barcoding data, and the second involves a broader issue with respect to the role of DNA barcoding in modern biology. Both issues are of great importance as to howweview DNA barcoding, and solutions to both will broadly change the way that the taxonomic sciences are accomplished if the view of taxonomy that is expressed by Waugh is the way that the initiative proceeds. It is not the purpose of this correspondence to say whether these approaches are right or wrong, or which one to choose, but rather, to try to put all the cards on the table so that we canmake better decisions about how this important scientific endeavor moves forward.