[Taxacom] Why is taxonomy so dull?

[John Grehan]

Scott - I share that sentiment. Although I probably feel less
excitement about nomenclatural issues, that does not detract from its
attraction for others. I have found taxonomy is a window through which one
enters many other worlds - of evolution, biogeography, systematics, ecology
etc. Ironically I was deterred from taxonomy after taking a post grad
course that was DULL, DULL, DULL. If anyone could have made the subject
less attractive I would be amazed. And to add to the irony, taxonomy  was
always in my bones from the point I started collecting natural history
items, bugs mostly.  As one prominent taxonomist informed me, with a PhD in
ecology, no one (including him) is going to support your entry into
taxonomy. Fortunately, it was in the US that I did find that support, and
from taxonomists who owed me nothing.

John Grehan

On Wed, Nov 24, 2021 at 2:07 PM Scott Thomson <scott.thomson321 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Thanks for link
>
> I actually find taxonomy and nomenclature the most exciting science I have
> been involved in. The opportunity to step into the thoughts of long
> deceased scientists and delve into their writings, follow the descriptions
> across the expanse of time and science is thrilling to me.
>
> I have also done work with reproductive biology, waiting for eggs to
> hatch, thats like watching paint dry. Radio tracking animals for home range
> studies, yeah lets walk in ever widening circles tring to find the buggers.
>
> Taxonomy is the thrill of the chase, in most other science i focus on the
> latest and the greatest, figuring that out i can just email the authors
> convince them to zoom with me. No figuring out what the authors of 200 year
> old papers were thinking and even looking at when they thought about, thats
> a thrill.
>
> Aristotl named the green sea turtle Chelonia mydas of course its
> attributed to Linn. Its amazing that we are using names passed down through
> the literature for thousands of years.
>
> But to me the written word is our species most powerful invention. So
> seeing it in action is incredible.
>
> Cheers Scott
>
> On Wed, Nov 24, 2021, 2:48 PM John Grehan via Taxacom <
> taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu> wrote:
>
>> Upcoming talk by David Williams. See link at
>>
>> https://systass.org/meetings/future-events/presidents-lecture-2021/?fbclid=IwAR0BANUn1oxuHw7CanNmsUhyeORTm1oUu6pTNLhTog2WxGEzYDppkigqou0
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>>
>