Before I left work I posted two abstracts (i.e. from actual scientific papers rather than wikis and so on) but the email is in the ether, maybe awaiting moderator approval? Maybe it's already been disapproved of. I haven't access to Web of Science from home.
Long and short of it is that is is a taxonomic mess. Cervus canadensis is I believe a grouping of subspecies and its validity is up for grabs.
There is a "fanning" of species in there which probably implies loads of overlap. "What is a species" for large mammals is about as messy as it is for bacteria anyway (in the middle, insects and the like, one can do crosses and use the "Biological Species Concept" and people aren't quite as fond of their names for furry creatures).
The gene jockeys have come up with phylogenies which don't agree with the current taxonomy (as ever). What this means is that in five years it will be different from what it is now anyway. And this is without the common names muddying the waters.
And finally...
> > online source has a German domain, while all my
> > books are proper American SCIENCE!
Jane:
> This being the "science" that includes "Intelligent
> Design"? Probably more relevant to Glorantha, then:
Hey, N.American evolutionary biology is pretty on the ball. Even if a lot of themare imported from northern Europe.
> what we want is mythology, not science. (By the way,
> has anyone spotted the Flying Spaghetti Monster in
> Glorantha yet?)
Is it an elf?
Is it a jolanti?
Yes to both, and it makes for a decent meal too.
Sam.
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