Re: En: species, subspecies, strains, populations, races etc.

["José J. V. Carvalho" <zeco@bbci.com.br>]

Hi all,

Mike Wise wrote:

>I've been reading all these comment with interest. It just goes to show you
that
>even scientists don't have a fixed definition of a species. geneticists,
physical
>taxonomists, etc. have different definitions...

In the evolutionary point of view (and I'm most interested in evolution)
species is the only real concept, all the others - genus, family, sub- and
superspecies, etc - being artificial concepts that facilitate us to classify
the live world (most, if not all, of my fellow taxonomists blame me for
this).
The point is this: if two populations, when mixed, have offspring that are
less fitted to survive/procreate than the "pure" ones, they tend to develop
barriers to avoid hybridization, which lead to speciation; if the contrary
occurs, the two populations will amalgamate. So, to the fish's point of
view, if my partner will gave me "good" offspring, don't care if she is of
my subspecies, race, population, or not; if not, what the importance of she
is being called Apistogramma or Microgeophagus?
If we fail to recognize the species, is our fault.

>... I don't knowingly mix populations in my tank so I don't
>care what the form is - whether it's only a color form of a species or a
separate
>species altogether. For most of us I bet we feel the same way.

Great! If most of my fellow breeders of anything (parrots, siskin, fishes,
orchids) do the same!...

>> What would you say if population A' (that can breed with sp. A but not
with
>> sp. B) and population B' (vice-versa) can interbreed? All of this being
in
>> mind that it MUST be natural.
>
>I imagine it occurs, but I don't know where - maybe Lake Malawi. I imagine
that
>we would be seeing recent speciation occurring. This is where the
biological
>definition breaks down. Maybe scientists care, but I sure that the fish do
not.

It do occur. I don't know a single example on fishes, but within birds,
orchids and frogs there is many.

>> sorry, mike, but there are some relatives i'd wish were not part of MY
>> family... :-)
>
>Excellent reply! I love it.]

I too.

Zeco





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