Re: The Need for Subspecies

Posted by answer on November 16, 1998 at 14:47:05:

In Reply to: Re: The Need for Subspecies posted by Dave Beamer on November 16, 1998 at 14:14:26:

:
A subspecies tells you something about the animal.
If someone gives you a painted turtle with a pure yellow plastron and a dark red stripe down the middle of the carapace, that tells you that this animal is from the southern Mississippi Watershed(Tennesse, Mississippi, Arkansas, etc.) Naming subspecies for MAJOR, OBVOIUS differences is very helpful in letting you know the general geographic region it is from. Another example is Lampropeltis getelus floridana and Lampropeltis getelus california. These animals are far, far, far from each other and exhibit many different habitat partitions as well as phenotypic differences. believe this is another good subspecies. What would you call a Terrapene carolina carolina x Terrapene ornataa ornata. These occur in the wild, quite commonly in some areas. The species concept could be shredded just like the subspecies concept can. The reason that so many people want to keep these taxonomic levels in existence is because it helps to know the approximate geographic origin and an obvious difference in appearence between major populations.

MarginataXDorsalis? Sounds like some pretty silly clinal variation to me. Why not continue and give taxonomic status to every variation not matter how uninformative. If you are truly interested in taxonomy read the citations I posted earlier.
: Dave Beamer

Follow Ups:

• Re: The Need for Subspecies Dave Beamer 11/16/98 (1)
  • Re: The Need for Subspecies Mike 11/16/98 (0)

Post a Followup

Name:
E-Mail:

Subject:

Comments:
: : : A subspecies tells you something about the animal. : If someone gives you a painted turtle with a pure yellow plastron and a dark red stripe down the middle of the carapace, that tells you that this animal is from the southern Mississippi Watershed(Tennesse, Mississippi, Arkansas, etc.) Naming subspecies for MAJOR, OBVOIUS differences is very helpful in letting you know the general geographic region it is from. Another example is Lampropeltis getelus floridana and Lampropeltis getelus california. These animals are far, far, far from each other and exhibit many different habitat partitions as well as phenotypic differences. believe this is another good subspecies. What would you call a Terrapene carolina carolina x Terrapene ornataa ornata. These occur in the wild, quite commonly in some areas. The species concept could be shredded just like the subspecies concept can. The reason that so many people want to keep these taxonomic levels in existence is because it helps to know the approximate geographic origin and an obvious difference in appearence between major populations. : : MarginataXDorsalis? Sounds like some pretty silly clinal variation to me. Why not continue and give taxonomic status to every variation not matter how uninformative. If you are truly interested in taxonomy read the citations I posted earlier. : : Dave Beamer

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

---

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Herp Law Forum ] [ FAQ ]

KINGSNAKE.COM Enjoy all our content free of charge with a user account that gives you full access to every feature. For added visibility, paid options are available - post in our Classifieds, showcase your business with Banner Ads or a Directory listing, promote reptile events, and more. Quick Links Home Advertise Classifieds Lost Password Your Account Community Journals Events Featured Articles Forums Photo Gallery Legal & Safety Terms of Service Classified TOS Age Verification Business Verification Vendor Complaint Support Banner Ad Help Classified Help Classified Tips Contact Us Forum Help Register for free ✓ Sign up! Kingsnake.com ® is a registered trademark © 1997-