[Re:] # dots on maps

[Thomas Schlemmermeyer]

Interesting question. One could refine it in the following manner:
How many dots does one need to change an already existing map?

Let us say species X is known only from Southeastern Brazil. Only? No! There is
one single record from Ecuador. However, it is not possible to check the sample
from Ecuador. Shall one change the distribution map or not?
And if one changes,.....How?  Two disjunct patterns? or the hypothesis that the
species ocurrs all over South America but has not been collected so far....?


On (         Wed, 3 Nov 1999 10:59:11 -0800
),         Brian Brown <bbrown at NHM.ORG> wrote:


>Does anyone have an opinion about how many dots (=distribution records) a
>map needs to be useful? Many of my species are known from only one or two
>sites, so a map of their distribution would probably be a waste of space and
>time (but maybe other people think otherwise?). How many locality records
>does it take to interest biogeographers?
>
>Brian
>________________________________________
>
>Brian V. Brown
>Entomology Section
>Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
>900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, U.S.A.
>
>tel: (213) 763-3363   fax: (213) 746-2999
>email: bbrown at nhm.org
>http://www.lam.mus.ca.us/lacmnh/departments/research/entomology
>