The Brown and Polar Bear example really just is not a good one to use if you're talking about splitting species 
~Thylo
~Thylo
Four Giraffe species, not one
- Thread starter Swampy
- Start date
Though I once heard a docent at an AZA zoo telling visitors that brown bears and polar bears are the same species!The Brown and Polar Bear example really just is not a good one to use if you're talking about splitting species
~Thylo
Though I once heard a docent at an AZA zoo telling visitors that brown bears and polar bears are the same species!
My understanding is that Polar Bear are well entwined in the taxonomic mess that is Brown Bear genetics. I've read before that Polar Bears and Grizzlies are more closely related than the Grizzly is to some of its Asian counterparts..
~Thylo
True.
Interesting as the trend had been to settle on three - this is back to four (restoring reticulata as separate from G. camelopardalis - superficially this feels 'right' as they look so distinct but of course that isn't always a reliable guide!).
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I feel like its time to split my sightings up, to the best of my ability. Oh wait that still means I got hybrids for most sightingsI can only hope that this research makes even more zoos prioritize a switchover to the Masai population in the U.S.
Yeah, sorry - US giraffes are pretty messed up!
Still - Masai's a good one to have pure, as almost all the others have populations of various sizes in European zoos (on the taxonomy proposed in the new paper, only West African and Masai aren't in Europe - though I'm yet to see giraffa in a zoo). If you ever get the chance we could work out a nice little giraffe tour for you to fill in the blanks!
When we discovered that there are multiple giraffe species with our 2007 genetics study, our initial data set was large and covered most subspecies and giraffe range, but with gaps. Subsequent studies have filled in those gaps and basically confirmed and further illuminated the patterns of giraffe speciation as shown by population genetics history and structure.
The new paper with the full genome population study is probably as comprehensive as population genetic studies are going to get within giraffes (although there are always advances in genetic sequencing and analysis that can take things farther, so never say never).
Translating genetics papers into taxonomy is difficult, and what the giraffe science community is wrestling with now. Some members of the community have treated the four species concept loudly as fact, and that is not yet universally agreed upon.
The one species, nine subspecies concept is still the official taxonomy, although nobody thinks that will ultimately be where the official taxonomy ends up.
The new paper with the full genome population study is probably as comprehensive as population genetic studies are going to get within giraffes (although there are always advances in genetic sequencing and analysis that can take things farther, so never say never).
Translating genetics papers into taxonomy is difficult, and what the giraffe science community is wrestling with now. Some members of the community have treated the four species concept loudly as fact, and that is not yet universally agreed upon.
The one species, nine subspecies concept is still the official taxonomy, although nobody thinks that will ultimately be where the official taxonomy ends up.
I feel like its time to split my sightings up, to the best of my ability. Oh wait that still means I got hybrids for most sightings
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park should still have a couple pure Rothschild's for what it's worth, though..
~Thylo