Re: Fp. robertsoni

["Tyrone Genade" <Tgenade at AKAD_SUN.AC.ZA>]

On 1 May 2002, at 8:44, Edd.Kray at rf_doe.gov wrote:

> 
> Tyrone, my personal opinion would be to say that your statement "
> roberstoni is extinct at its original location" is a misuse of the
> term "extinct". 

Perhaps but was robertsoni a valid species? Is it any more a valid 
species that Fp. walkeri Kutunse that is "extinct" at its only known 
location. As we move more and more to considerring individual 
populations as "species" in their own right the move valid the term 
extinct becomes to the considerred populations.

Are we too liberal with the term extinct? Yes. It is arrogance to 
assume a species is extinct unless we cover every squre centimere of 
this planet proving the point. But at this point we can't even decide 
what we mean by a species.

> As far as this being a conservative assumption. I would consider it to
> be conservative NOT to reach a conclusion of extinction without
> adequate data or validation.  

Agreed but in a world where we are loosing species every day to the 
assumption "there is always more where that came from" I think we 
should be making these rash conclusion if but only to play it safe.

Never the less, the hypothesis is: Fp. robersoni is extinct at its 
population X. Now, how are we going to prove this wrong?
Or rather, lets make the hypothesis: Fp. robertsoni is not extinct. 
The null hypotheis is then Fp. robersoni is extinct. The point still 
comes down to testing the idea. The dodo is "extinct" but so was the 
coelocanth (now been found off the coast of Tanzania, Kenya, 
Sulewasi, Comores and South Africa). Perhaps we are just not looking 
in the right places.

Bottom line: until we know more we must err on the side of caution or 
risk loosing what we have.
Tyrone Genade
tyronegenade at yahoo_com
http://www.tyronegenade.0catch.com

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"No, the LORD has told us what is good. What He requires 
of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love,
and to live in humble fellowship with our GOD." 
                                                Micah 6:8
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