When you register a new target to the catalog, and then issue a "list incarnations", RMAN lists all the previous incarnations as well. But why? What's the point?

Why does the catalog of a "newly" registered target database store information about ALL the previous incarnations (of the target) as well? What is the logic behind this? It is not as if any of the previous incarnations were backed up..it is not necessarily true anyway. I think the information is useless and kinda misleading. It misleads a novice DBA "at first sight" into thinking s/he might have backup information for multiple incarnations in the catalog.

Thoughts anyone?