Monday 23 January 2017

An eminent geneticist writes (Rise of the Planet of the Geese, part two)

**Caution- this blogpost contains no birds and no estuary**

Two e-mails stood out in the other morning's in-box. In the first, an eminent geneticist, a Mr Trellis, PhD, MSci, of The Gower, South Wales had taken the time to comment upon the recent Haldane's Rule post. In the second, an eminent geneticist, a Mr Trellis, PhD, MSci, of The Gower, South Wales had taken the time to comment further upon the recent Haldane's Rule post.

I have been provided with links to two rather interesting articles from 'Science'. The first hinted at how species hybridisation has played an important role in evolution, even in our own history as we all carry genes picked up from from inter-species shenanigans with our old relatives the Neanderthals and the Denisovans. The second was a link to an article by the same author concerning a hybridised population setting off on the path towards a new Galapagos Finch species within our own lifetimes.

So, thanks again to Mr Trellis for putting me through my paces. Of course, Haldane's Rule is just that- a rule. It is there for guidance, unlike a law, which is there to be broken. The majority of inter-species offspring follow the rule. Of course, I'm no geneticist, so take (perhaps too much) heart in wikipedia and the like, but do note from the first article not all professionals are in agreement as to the importance of such hybridisation in the evolvution of species. (The article omitted to mention that the jury is still out on whether Neanderthals and Denisovans were actual species or simply sub-species.)

The finch study is also fascinating, one where the hybrids have been fertile and gone on to choose to breed with other hybrids, but those that carried out the study are cautiously holding back from calling this the start of a new species. Within the example these hybrids found themselves in a short period of isolation thanks to a drought on their island. The setting for such a swift change is not one likely to be duplicated in the example that brought my original post- hybrid geese latching on to members of a much larger widespread wild population.

I should admit Trellis has been trying to educate me, with little success, for about 30 years now, and I'm lucky he perseveres. On the species concept, we already agree that evolution does nothing to make it easy for us to force all into neat little tick boxes. I'm secretly expecting another e-mail in the near future, following the recent decision of the British Ornithologists' Union to adopt the IOC list and the long, long awaited re-lumping of Lesser and Mealy Redpoll,

A Redpoll, of sorts


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