[Taxacom] molecular species description

[Richard Zander]

Strange. These researchers predicted a new species from molecular data,
and then found what they feel is a good species based on several
morphological traits. Okay. THEN they " Even fragments of DNA, whether
mitochondrial or 
chloroplast or nuclear, when properly amplified, are usually sufficient 
to designate a new species." How does this follow from one example? 

Clearly there are (1) good species that differ molecularly and by good
morphological traits, and (2) molecularly variant "cryptic species" that
do not differ by expressed trait worth a damn. IF the molecular
differences were more useful than getting one a publication, then let us
know.

-----Original Message-----
From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
[mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Tim Dickinson
Sent: Friday, August 07, 2009 8:54 AM
To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] molecular species description

not exactly *description* but rather identification of novelty from 
molecular data:

Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 148, 445-457

from the introduction:
"Here we demonstrate the utility of DNA fingerprinting in placing novel 
plant taxa. When we predicted a new species of Vaccinium L. on the 
strength of a fragment of DNA , isolated from a single seedling grown 
from seed of an unripe berry collected in 1997 near the summit of Fan Xi

Pan (3142 msm) the highest peak in the northern Vietnam (Vander Kloet 
and Patterson, 2000 [Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 134: 575-586]), reaction from 
the scientific community was muted to say the least with most 
taxonomists claiming Missourian ancestry!

Nonetheless, when our seedling sprang into bloom on 12 IV 03, ( Figure 
1) six years after germinating, it was obviously different from other 
sympatric Vaccinia ( Table 1) by at least four characters, e.g., V. 
hiepii Vander Kloet differs from V. chunii Merrill in twig indumentum as

well as leaf dimensions, leaf colour, and nervation, which is more than 
sufficient for specific status, thereby corroborating our DNA evidence, 
and more importantly the utility of DNA fingerprinting to measure 
biodiversity. Even fragments of DNA, whether mitochondrial or 
chloroplast or nuclear, when properly amplified, are usually sufficient 
to designate a new species."

<++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
<Tim Dickinson
<ROM Green Plant Herbarium (TRT)
<
<Department of Natural History
<Royal Ontario Museum
<100 Queen's Park
<Toronto  ON
<CANADA  M5S 2C6
<
<Phone:  (416) 586 8032     FAX:  (416) 586 7921
<E-mail:  tim.dickinson at utoronto.ca
<URL: http://www.rom.on.ca/collections/curators/dickinson.php
<URL: http://www.eeb.utoronto.ca/people/faculty/dickinson
<++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


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