nameless taxonomy (Re: Time to update taxonomy?)

[Panza, Robin]

>>>You have an organism, you sequence it, and you then link to a database
that tells you where and when other identical sequences have been obtained,
and any data that has been linked to those records. <<<

But in any sexually-reproducing species, there will be no identical
sequences.  Then it's a matter of finding "similar" sequences, and deciding
how similar is "similar enough" to be the same species.  Any links I
establish about the biology of the critter I sequenced only attach to my
sequence.  Your sequence, from something that most people would assume was
the same species (based on *morphology*) is not the same as mine, so the
links you establish to biological notes about your critter don't get
established as applying to my critter.

Robin K Panza
Section of Birds, Carnegie Museum of Natural History
4400 Forbes Ave.,   Pittsburgh  PA  15213  USA
phone:  412-622-3255;   fax:  412-622-8837
panzar at carnegiemuseums.org