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Path: utzoo!utcsri!ubc-vision!ubc-cs!andrews
From: andrews@ubc-cs.UUCP (Jamie Andrews)
Newsgroups: net.rec.birds
Subject: taxonomic classification of birds
Message-ID: <160@ubc-cs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Feb-86 13:31:22 EST
Article-I.D.: ubc-cs.160
Posted: Mon Feb 10 13:31:22 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 11-Feb-86 12:21:24 EST
References: <6373@utzoo.UUCP>
Reply-To: andrews@ubc-cs.UUCP (Jamie Andrews)
Organization: UBC Department of Computer Science, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Lines: 18
Summary: 


     There's an interesting article in the latest _Sci.Am._ about the
current wisdom on avian taxonomy.  It lists several results due to the
method of determining what percentage of the genetic material of one
species is shared by another.  Does anyone know whether this is now the
standard method of taxonomic classification?

     For recreational birders, I don't think it really should matter
much to us that someone has decided the Oregon and Slate-Coloured Juncos
are the same species; I still enjoy thinking I've seen both races.  I
guess have a fairly superficial approach to birding.  I'd get as much of
a thrill out of seeing an albino crow someday, for instance, than
correctly identifying some species of _Empidonax_ to tick it off on my
life list.

--Jamie.
...!Ihnp4!alberta!ubc-vision!ubc-cs!andrews
"And then the lighting of the lamps"