sealed abstract class Super[+A] { def f[B >: A](mem: List[B]) : List[B] def g(mem: List[_]) = ??? } // This one should fail, target is a supertype class Bop1[+A](val element: A) extends Super[A] { @annotation.tailrec final def f[B >: A](mem: List[B]): List[B] = (null: Super[A]).f(mem) @annotation.tailrec final def f1[B >: A](mem: List[B]): List[B] = this.g(mem) } // These succeed class Bop2[+A](val element: A) extends Super[A] { @annotation.tailrec final def f[B >: A](mem: List[B]): List[B] = (null: Bop2[A]).f(mem) } object Bop3 extends Super[Nothing] { @annotation.tailrec final def f[B](mem: List[B]): List[B] = (null: Bop3.type).f(mem) } class Bop4[+A](val element: A) extends Super[A] { @annotation.tailrec final def f[B >: A](mem: List[B]): List[B] = Other.f[A].f(mem) } object Other { def f[T] : Bop4[T] = sys.error("") } object Bop { def m1[A] : Super[A] = sys.error("") def m2[A] : Bop2[A] = sys.error("") }