My understanding John (and I am sure experts will correct me!) is that it
is not that simple - which gets back to Bob's point! Each "species" has a
range of DNA (see for example humans - and I guess if it
didn't evolution would not happen?) and the ranges can overlap. At what
point does a new species occur - what %age difference does there have to
be? My understanding is that Chestnut and Grey teals are actually
genetically identical and it is which genes are activated that
(simplistically) makes one of them Chestnut? So are they 2 species or 1.
And subspecies seem to have an even vaguer definition.
On 3 January 2013 21:15, John Wright <> wrote:
> Good one, Bob! I second that motion...
>
> <>
> But back to species vs sub-species, it should be very simple to
> compare DNA and decide once an for all, and very quickly as well...but
> I guess then at lot of ornithologists would be out of a job!
>
> Cheers,
>
> John
>
> On Thu, Jan 3, 2013 at 6:42 PM, Robert Inglis <> wrote:
> > From all this passionate discussion on taxonomies I am assuming that
> someone (or some committee) has finally come up with a viable,
> scientifically based and universally accepted definition of “a species”.
> >
> > Would someone be so kind as to tell me what that definition is.
> >
> > Bob Inglis
> > Sandstone Point
> > Qld
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