Characters: the central mystery of taxonomy and systematics

Taxonomic and systematic theory is hopelessly confused because the term character has nine different, previously confused, meanings. After a historical analysis, it is shown that some form pairs, one used in taxonomy (= operational identification of phenetic patterns of character x individual spread) and the other in systematics (= theoretical analysis of patterns of taxonomy). On the basis of a stratigramy model, names are given to each usage and are defined for taxonomy, then systematics, as necessary: component : (tax.) a defined bit-or-piece of one individual (no syst. meaning); homology : (tax.) conceptual identity of components of several individuals, attributable (syst.) to common ancestry; homology avatar : (tax.) case of recognized homology which (syst.) shows broad phylogenetic continuity (e.g. eye) (= character sensu Sokal and Sneath); homolostratum/homology state : (tax.) specified condition of a homology avatar whose distribution (syst.) enables cladogenetic happenings to be identified (e.g. colour:red/green/blue/etc.) (= character state of Sokal and Sneath); character sensu stricto : (tax.) homolostratum limited to a taxon which (syst.), with hierarchy, identifies chronological sequences of most cladogenetic happenings; taxonomoids : (tax.) mixed group of homolostrata, including yet unknown characters, that identifies a taxon and so (syst.) has same role as characters (= roughly symplesiomorphies); Ante- (Ah) and Post-(Ph) happening characters : (tax.) the hierarchy levels immediately above and below an empty level which (syst.) reveal a cladistic happening (= roughly one usage of synapomorphies and apomorphies).