Re: cf. vs. aff.

[Mike & Diane Wise <apistowise@bewellnet.com>]

Piabinha@aol.com wrote:

> ok, mike, it sounds to me that the major diff. (albeit a slight one) is that
> cf. means "different from, but probably same species as, please compare"
> whereas aff. means "similar to, but probably different species."

Yes, but you must realize that this is only the opinion of the person who is
describing it that way. Hard core lumpers would use neither terms while hard core
splitters would have everything not coming from the type locality be at least a
"sp. aff." if not a different species altogether.

> << A subspecies is presently  considered as nothing but a population within a
> valid species. >>
>
> we had a discussion about the concept of species in the livebearer list
> (which gave me a major headache...).  so, in your mind, the several
> "subspecies" of tigers, for example (siberian, west asian, sumatran, javan,
> bengal etc.) are populations?  or separate species?  i always assumed they
> were universally considered to be subspecies (at least in the old view) but
> apparently some newer thinking would even put them in separate species.

I'm not very familiar with Tiger systematics, but I do know that based on
skeletal features alone they are identical. For that matter there are virtually
no skeletal differences between tigers and lions! Obviously there are external
(color pattern) and behavioral (solitary vs. pride) differences that put them in
different genera, but you can't see it in their bones. Yes, Siberian Tigers are
larger than Bengals or Sumatrans, but the central African Watusi people are twice
the size to the West African Forest People we used to call Pygmies. Are they not
the same species? The same can be assumed for the different populations (formerly
subspecies) of tigers. Subspecies is now considered an archaic term. Instead they
are now referred to as species populations. These tiger populations (subspecies)
might be raised full species status if anyone can prove that they are
biologically distinct.

Mike Wise

>
>
> tsuh yang chen, nyc
>
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