[Taxacom] Metapopulation lineage species concept

[Jody Haynes]

Thanks, Alex. Point taken.

As a non-taxonomist who has described new species and who has struggled his entire professional life with various species concepts, I find de Queiroz's simplistic and elegant explanation of "the species problem" both refreshing and illuminating. Specifically, according to my understanding of the "general metapopulation lineage concept of species," the fact that two groups of connected populations are evolving separately is sufficient for them to be considered separate species, regardless of whether the two groups have acquired any or all of the properties that those who adhere to any of the 20+ contemporary species concepts would consider as 'necessary' for the two groups to be considered valid species (i.e., intrinsic reproductive isolation, monophyly, ecological distinctness, diagnosability, etc.). The actual 'contingent' properties involved (or recognized as 'important') are irrelevant; rather, it is the very fact that the two groups currently have separate evolutionary trajectories that is sufficient for them to be considered distinct species. From a conceptual standpoint, this generalized species concept represents a significant paradigm shift away from the 20+ myopically focused (and admittedly biased) 'species concepts' and toward a unified concept that is more inclusive and more general-with the 20+ myopic concepts now appropriately relegated to nothing more than specific examples of the general concept. In application, I see this as a significant advance as well. because now one simply needs to present (and justify) a testable hypothesis as to how any given group (metapopulation lineage) is distinct from other such groups as a means of identifying (or circumscribing) a species. Different approaches of study (and types of data gathered) will obviously focus on different 'contingent' properties, but the ultimate goal is simplified because one simply needs to show how a given group of populations are connected genetically and evolving separately from other such groups.



Bracing for the tsunami...



Jody

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Chapman, Alex 
  To: Jody Haynes ; taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu 
  Sent: Wednesday, October 14, 2009 2:27 AM
  Subject: RE: [Taxacom] Metapopulation lineage species concept


  Dear Jody,

  You will get more bites from this list if you first put forward your own
  interpretation, then wait for the inevitable backlash.
  If you can get 'orangutan' or 'chimpanzee' into that interpretation, so
  much the better for a subsequent tsunami of postings!

  Alex
  ____ 
  Alex R. Chapman                    Email: alexc at dec.wa.gov.au 
  FloraBase Manager              http://florabase.dec.wa.gov.au 
  Research Scientist           Voice/Fax: +61 8 9334 0513 /0515 
  WA Herbarium   -   Department of Environment and Conservation 
  Locked Bag 104 Bentley Delivery Centre Western Australia 6983

  -----Original Message-----
  From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
  [mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Jody Haynes
  Sent: Wednesday, 14 October 2009 11:44 AM
  To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
  Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Metapopulation lineage species concept

  Is it safe to assume that no response to the listserve in regards to my
  query from last Friday indicates a lack of interest in discussing this
  issue?
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: Jody Haynes
    To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
    Sent: Friday, October 09, 2009 10:13 AM
    Subject: [Taxacom] Metapopulation lineage species concept


    Dear TAXACOMers:

    I just finished reading a couple papers by Kevin de Queiroz from 2005
  on the metapopulation lineage concept of species (see URLs below). I was
  hoping to get some feedback on this species concept and its various
  implications in taxonomy. If this subject has been discussed here
  already, then please accept my apologies for re-initiating discussion.

   
  http://si-pddr.si.edu/dspace/bitstream/10088/4504/1/VZ_2005deQBioEssays.
  pdf
    http://www.pnas.org/content/102/suppl.1/6600.full#sec-7

    Kindest regards,
    Jody Haynes
    Miami, FL
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