Re: NANFA-L-- Moribund fish & Life Outside

Bruce Stallsmith (fundulus at hotmail.com)
Mon, 24 Oct 2005 12:34:47 -0400

Lee, you tapped into one of those ongoing debates in biology as to how to
define a species. Rick Mayden wrote a paper several years ago discussing 23
species concepts, which unavoidably read like a law brief. The take-home
message is that it depends on what organisms you're dealing with, sexual or
asexual, and what observations/evidence you have. The granddaddy of species
definitions is from Ernst Mayr in 1942, the Biological Species Concept, and
it's applicable to fish:

"Species are groups of interbreeding natural populations that are
reproductively isolated from other such groups.

Many biologists today don't really like that definition, preferring a more
explicitly phylogenetic framework such as a diagnosable group of organisms
that share a common pattern of descent. One advantage of the BSC above is
that it's easier to describe to most people, and is at least a starting
point.

As to subspecies... they could fit in the above definition as one of the
groups of interbreeding natural populations (or not). And the debate goes
on.

--Bruce Stallsmith
along the Tennessee
Huntsville, AL, US of A

>From: EELReprah at aol.com
>Reply-To: nanfa-l at nanfa.org
>To: nanfa-l at nanfa.org
>Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- Moribund fish & Life Outside
>Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 12:17:38 EDT
>
>In a message dated 10/24/05 12:04:02 PM, ashtonmj2003 at yahoo.com writes:
>
><< And if someone could quickly clarify for me what the major points are in
>the difference between a subspecies as part of a species complex is and the
>c"lade designation Todd is talking about. >>
>
>Until someone with authority explains to my level of understanding what
>officially defines a species, I will view it all as a temporary aberration.
>
>Lee Harper
>Media, PA
>/-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes
>/ Association (NANFA). Comments made on this list do not necessarily
>/ reflect the beliefs or goals of NANFA. For more information about NANFA,
>/ visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all posts to nanfa-l are
>/ consistent with the guidelines as per
>/ http://www.nanfa.org/guidelines.shtml To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get
>/ help, visit the NANFA email list home page and archive at
>/ http://www.nanfa.org/email.shtml
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association (NANFA). Comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of NANFA. For more information about NANFA,
/ visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all posts to nanfa-l are
/ consistent with the guidelines as per
/ http://www.nanfa.org/guidelines.shtml To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get
/ help, visit the NANFA email list home page and archive at
/ http://www.nanfa.org/email.shtml