birding-aus

Definition of a species

To: <>
Subject: Definition of a species
From: "Simon Starr" <>
Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2011 20:19:34 +1100
Hi all,
 
David James' comments on this subject are detailed and very informative.
Taxonomy is not a subject that I delve into too deeply  but I am curious as
to other birding-aussers comments on David's final comments. 
 
"Here's the thing: it is not that hard to resolve the 

species-or-subspecies issue when the breeding distributions abut. Lurida and


ocellata breed side by side in NQ with ocellata sort of surrounding lurida
in 

its rainfor enclave, Either they hybridise and are therefore subspecies or
they 

don't and are therefore species. Recent forest clearing may bl the picture,
and 

perhaps a small amount of hybridisation is hard to interpret, but there
aren't 

many data." 

 

 

Can someone please tell me, how this statement fits with the two species
Yellow-throated Miner and Black-eared Miner ? 

 

I guess I am effectively asking for a definition of a species if one exists.

 

Thanks,

 

Simon Starr.

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