[Taxacom] FW: DNA only descriptions

[Kim van der Linde]

On 8/16/2010 12:25 PM, Richard Zander wrote:

> Of course, morphology alone is usually useful for identification, and DNA isn't.

Well, DNA barcoding is exactly developed for doing just that, with the 
added advantage that you do not need to know all your species.

For insects, we only need one leg (even from a living individual) to 
make an ID, without even knowing what family those individuals are in.

I think this whole discussion is focusing too much on mor. vs mol. The 
reality is that collecting DNA sequences is REALLY easy nowadays, while 
collecting phenotypic data remains a bitch to do because most of the 
time, we cannot automate it (the main problem of genotype-phenotype 
mapping). So, instead of hanging on to morphology as the key to 
identification, we can help this field dramatically forward by adopting 
DNA for identification purposes and spare the limited time of those 
knowing morphology to the many many morphology based questions beyond 
species recognition.

I am waiting for the day that we have hand-held sequencers that can be 
taken into the field to do a on the spot DNA identification of your 
plant, insect, etc.

Kim

-- 
http://www.kimvdlinde.com