As we only get one of them in Oz does it really matter what we call it ?
As WS would have said "Much ado about nothing".
BTW, I heard the other day that someone is making shoes out of Cane Toad
skins. Wart on earth will they think of next !
T.
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of Greg & Val
Clancy
Sent: Monday, November 23, 2009 5:36 PM
To: Chris Ross
Cc:
Subject: Re 'Jabiru'
Hi Chris,
The problem is that the species (or subspecies) also occurs in New
Guinea so
it can't be Australian Jabiru and remember 'Jabiru' means 'swollen neck'
which is hardly suitable for our slender-necked species.
I received an email asking for more information on why the subspecies
may be
considered for species status in the future. The writer also said
please
don't say that it is based on DNA!!!
Well it is based on DNA. Tissue samples were analysed from two
Black-necked
Storks, one an Australian bird and the other a captive bird believed to
have
been from Asia. The genetic distances were apparently further apart
than
those between some other stork species. The most likely conclusion
that
could be made from this is that we have two species. Christidis and
Boles
were going to split the species but decided to await further DNA
analysis
before doing so. Hence the species was not split in the 2008 edition.
I
hope that I have explained the genetics properly as it is not my field.
Greg Clancy
Coutts Crossing
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