Tweeters,

Just to note a few things.

1.) Just because a species intergrades with another species over a large geographic region doesn't necessarily invalidate species classification. Otherwise we wouldn't have Black-capped or Carolina Chickadee or Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warblers.

2.) DNA is just one way we use to differentiate species but there is not steadfast rule. For example some isolated populations of California Greater Sage-Grouse are more genetically distinct from other Greater Sage-Grouse than Gunnison Sage-Grouse. Yet Gunnison Sage-Grouse are more behaviorally and morphologically distinct from Greater Sage-Grouse than the isolated California Greater Sage-Grouse.

Cheers,



Tyler L Hicks
PhD Student
Washington State University - Vancouver

E-mail: tyler_hicks at wsu.edu
Website: www.thingswithwings.org

"Back off man, I'm a scientist!" - Bill Murray, Ghostbusters