[Taxacom] Dark taxa: GenBank in a post-taxonomic world

[Richard Zander]

Interesting idea that taxonomic names may be unnecessary for certain research using just sequences.

IMO taxonomic names represent scientific theories of groups in nature.

Without such theories of groups in nature, exactly what can sequences offer as data for research? Is it research involving a scientific theory? I think Markov chain reasoning is probably okay for some things, but what things given no scientific names?

Can we have an example, Rod? 

 
* * * * * * * * * * * * 
Richard H. Zander 
Missouri Botanical Garden, PO Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166-0299 USA 
Web sites: http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/resbot/ and http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/bfna/bfnamenu.htm
Modern Evolutionary Systematics Web site: http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/resbot/21EvSy.htm



-----Original Message-----
From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu [mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Roderic Page
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 8:53 AM
To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Subject: [Taxacom] Dark taxa: GenBank in a post-taxonomic world

This post may be of interest to TAXACOM readers. "Dark taxa: GenBank in a post-taxonomic world"

http://iphylo.blogspot.com/2011/04/dark-taxa-genbank-in-post-taxonomic.html

Regards

Rod
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Roderic Page
Professor of Taxonomy
Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine
College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences
Graham Kerr Building
University of Glasgow
Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK