[LEPS-L:8038] Re: Extinct 'species'

Chris J. Durden drdn at mail.utexas.edu
Wed Nov 29 12:51:37 EST 2000


Determining what is and is not a species is in many cases like determining
the outcome of a machine vote. It all depends on hanging or pregnant chad.
Has anyone yet compared the DNA of *Glaucopsyche xerces* with the DNA of
other subspecies and isolate populations of *Glaucopsyche lygdamus*. This
should be a top priority item. From superficial inspection I strongly
suspect that *G. lygdamus* is a polyspecific complex and I would be very
surprised if *G. xerces* is (in the paleontological sense) not a clearly
distinct species. As our best candidate for a terminally extinct species of
butterfly I am surprised that this work has not been done. I wonder how
much the efforts to cram it into the mother species are not an effort to
avoid the embarrasment of having any extict species of butterflies in the
US on our watch!
.........Chris Durden
Dubya stands for weasel and I would not trust him with my chickens!


At 12:47  29/11/00 GMT, you wrote:
 
>This is "bad lawmakers" theme is obviously one of your favourites .:-)
>
>I recall you posting about the "Gestapo" some while ago.
>
>However, I see it differently. As I see it nobody can actually properly
>specify where the boundaries between species and subspecies lies.
>There species rings like the pair of gulls that circle the pole in a
>cline of races which behave as separate species where the extremes meet
>in the UK.
>
>In the list you mention there is Glaucopsyche lygdamus xerces.
>
>Whether this is a full species or a subspecies is unknown. This is a
>matter of opinion. We may never know because it is EXTINCT.
>Another distinctive race palosverdesensis is hovering on the brink.
>
>As a conservationist I do not see a problem with legislation protecting
>subspecies. To those who see conservation as one of their primary
>interests in the study of lepidoptera, legislation like the US
>Endangered Species Act that protects the habitat of such unique jewels
>of nature is a very good thing indeed.
>
>If there is any "dumbing down" in the general debate on this
>issue it comes from the pro-destruction anti-conservation lobby who use
> tacktics such as dubious "Bent-science" web sites to promote half
>truths and cobbled statistics to convince those who have not studied
>ecology in detail.
>
>--
>Neil Jones- Neil at nwjones.demon.co.uk http://www.nwjones.demon.co.uk/
>"At some point I had to stand up and be counted. Who speaks for the
>butterflies?" Andrew Lees - The quotation on his memorial at Crymlyn Bog
>National Nature Reserve
> 


 
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