Subject: Re: Are there standardized definitions?
Date: Feb 5 11:18:56 1996
From: "Dan Stephens" - dstephen at ctc.ctc.edu


In message <Pine.3.89.9602050505.A1374-0100000 at calvin> writes:
> Dan: how does the term/concept of "deme" fit into your new, improved
> "population" term/concept? How is this term used by population biologists?
>
> Tom Love
> Dept. Soc/Anth
> Linfield College
> McMinnville, OR 97128
> tlove at linfield.edu
>
Tom, The term deme is used for a local interbreeding group within a pop. All
members of the deme have an equal chance of breeding with other members of
the deme. Demes can be thought of as subpopulations. For example in my study
the Yellow-breasted Chats do not form a continuous, uniform breeding population
from one end of the valley to another (about 6 miles). There are several
subpopulations (demes), where gene flow may not be as great as within a deme.
This is one of the things I am trying to find out by banding the birds; how
strong is the sight fidelity? Do the juvenile birds I band in the lower 1/3 of
the valley return stay in the lower 1/3 of the valley or do they try to breed
higher up the valley next year?

Sometimes deme is used for a local populations which do not breed sexually.





Dan Stephens (509) 662-7443
Dept. of Biology fax: (509) 664-2538
Wenatchee Valley College e-mail: dstephen at ctc.edu
1300 Fifth Street
Wenatchee, WA 98801