one lump or two?

[Ron Gatrelle]

The term "super-species" is becoming the lumpers way of splitting without
stooping, or switching, or admitting that subspecies is what these things
are. So instead of a lump of subspecies, we just invent a new
rank -Superspecies - and now have a lump of species.

By the way, this is not an original thought of mine. This was told to me
just last year at the Lep. Soc. meeting by one of the Big Name people.
Everybody probably has a book with his name on it. I doubt if this
individual has ever been thought of as a splitter either.
_____________________
I wonder if 300 years from now (after the term subspecies has long been
eliminated and forgotten) if the splitters will be those who still persist
in believing in species? After all, species are just minor transitional
forms that come and go between glaciations. Remember, dinosaurs did not go
extinct, they just grew feathers. Parts is parts.

The lumbers will be those who believe that SuberSpecies are really best
understood when viewed as segments of the GiantGenera. Of course by this
time the term subfamily will have vanished also and the families that
remain will be few having been lumped into three possibly only two (for
butterflies) and a whopping six for moths. Hey could happen, as the
definite trend the last decade is toward bigger umbrellas.

On the other hand, common names will have exploded, due to the Great Feud
of 2230. NABA had gotten so big, that each state chapter decided to form
their own common names committee and once that happened all hell broke
loose, counties, cites. Males and females of the same GiantGenera even had
there own names. Then there was the creation of NAB EM in 2269 as the
cocaine drug lords had armed the poachers and collectors to... Oh, I forgot
to tell you why. As it turned out it was discovered that mtDNA in Monarch
legs was a powerful human aphrodisiac!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No need to say more on
that.

Sincerely, Msacras Evoli


 
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