Splitting Feathers: How Genetics Is Redefining Bird Classification - Ricky Flamio скачать в хорошем качестве

Splitting Feathers: How Genetics Is Redefining Bird Classification - Ricky Flamio

What is a species? We used to think a species was something that could not breed with another group, but we now know that is no longer the case. Every October, the eBird Taxonomy Update is released and we witness the splitting of familiar bird species into two (or more) and the lumping or combining of multiple species into one. In this talk, I will explain the process by which these taxonomy updates occur as well as the DNA evidence that backs a lot of these changes. We will explore topics such as cryptic (morphologically similar) species, hybridization, and subspecies, using examples from real bird groups, that make classification challenging. We will end with a discussion on why classification is important, despite nature’s resistance to fit neatly into defined boxes. Richard (Ricky) Flamio Jr., PhD, a current board member of Bronx River - Sound Shore Audubon, is a geneticist with a PhD in Zoology. Dr. Flamio’s PhD dissertation focused on the conservation of endangered sturgeon, and his postdoctoral work involved the production of the wood stork genome. Dr. Flamio currently works in Manhattan at Hospital for Special Surgery and Weill Cornell Medical College, where he uses his genetic background to study lupus, an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation and multi-organ tissue damage in those afflicted. He also teaches a research methods class to City University of New York students, and he enjoys mentoring the next generation of scientists.