Subject: Re: CROW TAXONOMY QUESTION (fwd)
Date: Mar 4 08:35:35 1994
From: Eugene Hunn - hunn at u.washington.edu

Hi Tweeters,

Re new species concepts: I look forward to the day when the Sooty
Shearwater complex will be split into 13 species on the basis of body
odor, when it is demonstrated that these populations maintain genetic
isolation by recognition of species-specific pheromones. Imagine: a
Scratch-n-Sniff field guide!

Gene Hunn

On 03 Mar 94 Skip_Russell at beav.intersolv.com wrote:
> > I am really surprised that the NW Crow question has not been tackled
> >by any one of the DNA gurus, or has it and I don't know about it. The
>
> Unless and until there is some genetic data to go on, the point would seem
> to me to be moot. Furthermore, it seems that if relatively recent factors
> were responsible for the breaking down of whatever isolating mechanims
> existed between caurinus and hesperis, then a mixing of genes couldn't
> possibly account for a continuous cline as far south as California, at
> least not in the that time frame. Perhaps a more plausible explanation
> would be that whatever environmental factors led to caurinus in the first
> place, also confer the same selective advantage to coastal hesperis? For
> example, small size might be an advantage in competing with beachcombing
> gulls or blackbirds or something. In other words, small size in Crows
> might just be the inevitable byproduct of living by the sea?
>
> ...........Perhaps birders should take
> >hold of this idea and create a "Birding species concept", if you can ID
> >it then you can count it! How does that sound?
>
> It has a lot of merit. I think Al Jaramillo's concept will be given more
> serious consideration when the inevitable Red Crossbill split occurs. It
> looks as though we will then be faced with species which we won't be able
> to identify in the field! It works for splits as well as lumps.
>
> Skip