Classification and Species

[Alan at]

An old, but still relevant reference is: Hedgpeth, Joel W. "Taxonomy:
man's oldest profession" -- based upon a talk given at the Univ. of the
Pacific in the early 1960s, I believe (I don't have this reference
here).

Apropos folk taxonomy, i.e., Ernst Mayr and the New Guinea birds -- when
Dr. Mayr gave a talk at Harvard on his discovery that the natives
recognized all but one species as recognized by the ornithologists, Jim
Watson (of DNA fame) stood up and said that this proved that one doesn't
have to be literate to do taxonomy!

Watson was wrong -- literacy is a prerequisite for understanding the
International Code of Zoological (or Botanical) Nomenclature....

ÿÿ    Classification and Species                                             R