Too many cooks ...............

[Kevin Tilbrook]

Someone said (I forget whom) that subspecies were “in-between” states in the path of evolution, from some entity towards another – or something similar.

If this is the case then each “subspecies” would be expected to have a different path, it has had a different process of origination, and is genetically different (one would expect). If this is taken as read, then shouldn’t every individual be thought of as a “subspecies”?

Are we not all “hopeful monsters”?

So where does that leave the taxonomic mainstay, the process of typification of a “species” – should we all be shot and mounted in a museum collection? (I know there are several individuals I would like to see get stuffed – mainly politicians!) Of course clones would get off lightly!

Can’t we just stick with the old adage, “a species is a species if an expert says it is”!?

I know that this has its own intrinsic problems (“Who called the cook a b*****d?”, “Who called the b*****d a cook?”), but I like.







Dr. Kevin J. Tilbrook,
Earth and Oceanic Sciences Research Institute,
Auckland University of Technology,
24 St. Paul Street, Private Bag 92006,
Auckland 1020, New Zealand.
Tel: +64-9-307-9999 ext. 8148
Fax: +64-9-917-9973

---------------------------------
  Yahoo! Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping" your friends today! Download Messenger Now