[Taxacom] DNA barcoding

[Stephen Thorpe]

Hi again Bob,

I would like to incorporate Doug Yanega's comments into my previous  
reply, and hopefully clarify a couple of points:

There is a big difference between (A) "the use of barcoding in  
systematics", as a general umbrella, and (B) the specific issue of the  
use of barcoding for biological identification/diagnostics

I have no problem with (A), and indeed I see it as potentially the  
solution to the otherwise intractable problem of associating sexes or  
life stages of polymorphic species without having to rear them  
together (which may be difficult or impossible in practice)

I have a BIG problem with (B)! Firstly, the extreme scenario of  
"starting again", and rejecting the names based on "legacy" types  
(thereby rejecting most of the accumulated knowledge of several  
centuries) would indeed be a disaster of epic proportions! For one  
thing, it would be the extinction of 'Homo sapiens'!!! [the name, that  
is!]

The "art of taxonomy" (and I choose my words carefully!) cannot be  
replaced by an automated process like barcoding. In fact, they do  
different things! You have to know what it is that you are barcoding,  
and for that, taxonomists need to keep doing basic taxonomy! The only  
uses that I can see for barcoding for biological  
identification/diagnostics are twofold: (i) maybe we can discover  
cryptic species, though the general value of doing this before the  
"non-cryptics" are fully documented is unclear to me, and (ii) once a  
species has been taxonomically well-characterised in the traditional  
way, it might then be possible to use barcoding for routine  
diagnostics (e.g. biosecurity surveillance, etc.)

The key point though, is that barcoding actually depends on the  
continued activity of taxonomists, but there does seem to be a  
widespread impression that in some covert way, it is starting to "take  
over"...

Cheers,

Stephen

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