Single paraphyly is inevitable

Mike, Since I was discussing 'the inevitable result of evolution', I was referring to paraphyletic groups that have an indisputable basis in reality (almost totally independent of human abstraction). Many paraphyletic species have given rise to a single higher lineage (otherwise the evolutionary process would have ceased). Thus single paraphyly is inevitable if evolution is to proceed. But doubly paraphyletic groups are the arbitrary coupling of two separate single paraphyletic events, and are thus 'human constructs' on a much higher level of abstraction. Thus the distaste cladists have for doubly paraphyletic groups is completely understandable

But then the only paraphyletic groups with an indisputable basis in reality are species.