[Taxacom] see no weevil, hear no weevil, speak no weevil ...

[James Whitfield]

Yes.  Actually it seems all of the estimates from existing databases (as
opposed to field studies using extrapolatory methods) appear to
underestimate overall richness (sometimes severely).

As Rod says, why? the answers may provide some insights into how some
groups are systematically undersampled, others are clearly underdescribed
relative to others based on what we now know, etc.  A way forward might be
then clear. Of course, it could be that one or the other of these recent
studies is actually fairly accurate, in which case we have to re-think
other things! I am betting not, however.

Jim




> Isn't it interesting that two papers have appeared recently that both
> estimate the number of species, both use essentially the same data (e.g.,
> Catalogue of Life and WoRMS), and yet they arrive at very different
> answers?
>
> The two papers are listed here:
> http://iphylo.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-many-species-are-there-and-why-do.html
>
> Rather than dismiss one or other (or both) of the studies, surely the
> question is how come the results are so different?
>
> Regards
>
> Rod
>
>
> On 3 Oct 2011, at 04:41, Stephen Thorpe wrote:
>
>> this is surely worth a read:
>> http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/5707449/Globes-species-may-number-just-two-million
>>
>> throwing numbers around like baked beans in a kindergarten ...
>>
>> I very much doubt that 100 years from now, even all the species which
>> live on the Tamaki Campus here will have been described and documented!
>> The rate of description of mites, nematodes, micro-Hymenoptera,
>> micro-fungi, etc. is very low, but the actual diversity is high ...
>>
>> In the tropical rainforests, who can even guess how many species are
>> present??
>>
>> Stephen
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>
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> Roderic Page
> Professor of Taxonomy
> Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine
> College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences
> Graham Kerr Building
> University of Glasgow
> Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
>
> Email: r.page at bio.gla.ac.uk
> Tel: +44 141 330 4778
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>
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-- 
James B. Whitfield
Department of Entomology
320 Morrill Hall
505 S. Goodwin Avenue
University of Illinois
Urbana, IL 61801
http://www.life.illinois.edu/whitfield