Species Concept Question

[Jim Croft]

>Yes, but male humans and female humans are indisputably different
>morphologically; as are the major human races; as are breeds of dogs; etc.
>Maybe these are exceptional cases, and don't represent the "natural" world.

I'll bet there are numerous cases in the fish world wher the male and
female were so different morphologically  that they were originally thought
to be and decribed as separate species...

I think the bright green vs. red/blue ecclectus parrot is a case from the
bird world...

A web enumeration of all such instances would be interesting for those with
a penchant for biotrivia...

>But even still, a failure to allow *any* polymorphism would dramatically
>(and nonsensically) explode the number of species on Earth.

It has been argued several times that from a conservation point of view
that this is the only responsible approach... divide describe everything
and then legislate to protect all the micropopulations...  maybe you could
defend this approach ideologically, but I am not so sure scientifically...

>Centropyge flavissima
>http://www2.bishopmuseum.org/PBS/images/JER/detail.asp?ID=1774961360
>C. vrolikii
>http://www2.bishopmuseum.org/PBS/images/JER/detail.asp?ID=388967542
>hybridshttp://www2.bishopmuseum.org/PBS/images/JER/detail.asp?ID=1690520359
>http://www2.bishopmuseum.org/PBS/images/JER/detail.asp?ID=1773380990
>
>Looking at the photos, any taxonomist who knows the group wouldn't hesitate
>to treat them as distinct species (indeed, in the 150 years both species
>have been known, they have NEVER been treated as conspecific, despite
>HUNDREDS of published treatments).

Aw c'mon...  you can't fool us that easily...  they are not only the same
species, but the same *specimen*...  each with a different photoshop makover...

>So, in my mind "indisputably different" is a very subjective state.

you're tellin' me!   :)

>that prompted me to make the post involves:
>Centropyge acanthops
>http://www2.bishopmuseum.org/PBS/images/JER/detail.asp?ID=-982590340
>and
>C. fisheri
>http://www2.bishopmuseum.org/PBS/images/JER/detail.asp?ID=-1339602635
>and they overlap in the Maldives:
>http://www2.bishopmuseum.org/PBS/images/JER/detail.asp?ID=-1547254375
>http://www2.bishopmuseum.org/PBS/images/JER/detail.asp?ID=-1923267964

Unrelated to anything at all, I would like to say what a fantastic use this
is of technology to facilitate biolocial/taxonomic discussion - far better
than an a ABC and a bunch of Xs and Os.  it is so easy to load all the
images in the browser and flick backwards and forwards between
them...   good use of a good tool...

jim

~ Jim Croft ~ jrc at anbg.gov.au ~ 02-62465500 ~ www.anbg.gov.au/jrc/ ~