Subject: FW: Re: [Tweeters] 15 new North American Bird Species by DNA
Date: Feb 19 20:14:29 2007
From: Eric Kowalczyk - aceros at mindspring.com


And by the 2014, we all will be using bar code readers in the field instead of scopes and binocs. Perhaps they will design bar code readers in bird feeders and we can remotely be advised when we should check our feeders to see an individual of interest! Even George Orwell would not have thought it!

Eric
Seattle

----- Original Message -----
From: Douglas Canning
To: Tweeters
Sent: 2/19/2007 7:32:11 PM
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] 15 new North American Bird Species by DNA


And there's yet another story on the Environmental News Network site at http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=12246 (I haven't been able to read the other two - they don't like the way I block their pop-ups.)


The researchers are quoted as saying, "...there might be more than 1,000 new species of birds on top of 10,000 identified so far." The article closes with: "The scientists are hoping to raise $100 million to compile a barcode of life -- 10 million DNA records of 500,000 animal species by 2014."


Looks like we're approaching the final triumph of laboratory mechanics over field biologists. Be interesting to see what the science really is. I agree with Jerry that this stuff reads more like a news release from an institutional PR office.


But, if this is as goofy as looks like right now, it'll save me the cost of never having to buy another updated field guide to keep up with stuff that makes little or no sense out in the real world.


Doug Canning




On 18 Feb 2007 at 19:12, Tangren Family wrote:


From: Tangren Family <tangren.family at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] 15 new North American Bird Species by DNA
Date sent: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 19:12:10 -0800
To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>


> >This article is intrigueing, but I wish it provided more details on
> >species studied. Do any Tweeters have anything they could add?
> >
> >http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070218194535.htm
> >
> >
> >Scott R a y
> >AFLAC
> >Moxee, WA
> >509.961.2625
> >mryakima at gmail dot com
> >_______________________________________________
> >Tweeters mailing list
> >Tweeters at u.washington.edu
> >http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
>
> This looks like it was assembled by university press relations--low on
> details but high on hype. Without details, I'm thinking that most of
> the bird splits have been previously proposed, and that some in the
> past may have been treated as such for phenotypic reasons.
>
> The similarities appeared somewhat surprising--golden-crowned and
> white-crowned sparrow for one. If in fact they are proposing species
> lumps, then this would fly in the face of the conventional definition
> of a species and the importance of reproductive isolation.
>
> It does provide interesting data to consider. However, I believe much
> of the biology is missing from the press release, and the results are
> not as significant as the press release would have us believe.
>
> --Jerry <tangren.family at verizon.net>
>
>




*******************
Douglas Canning
Olympia, Washington
dcanning at zhonka.net
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