Schneier on Security

Peter E Retep • September 19, 2008 6:53 PM

When I was a kid, I was taught Ontogeny Repeats Phylogeny, which led to many spectacular misconceptions, including the idea that embryo starts out as a lower order invertebrate, becomes a coelate like squid, repeats a gill creature stage, and slowly retraces evolution through gestation through amphibian, reptillian, to animal, and ultimately human form.

Genetic Code has now resolutely lain this false assumption to rest.
Taxanomic Speciation by structural differences may rest on a similarly slippery slope, also to be pushed over the edge by DNA realities.
(I refer to "As a taxonomist, Hochberg is hoping that this squid’s samples will shed light on whether California’s populations are the same species as the ones in Japan and others than show up as far south as Hawaii." )

Currently speciation is decided by gene matrix (DNA code), by color phase, be behavior, and even by politics. [The Endangered Species Act's "identifiable and distinguishable population in an identified region" which led to the spotted [recessive] feather phase of the barred owl being declared an endangered species, and, by some reports, shutting down the northwest timber industry.]

Under these criteria, sometimes a dalmation is a different species from a [Beverly Hills] chihuahua, and sometimes it's only a breed difference.

To rely on taxonony to speciate when we have DNA testing available seems so last millenium. Just ask the tiglons and the grolars.

Peter E Retep • September 22, 2008 5:29 PM

@FNORD
Good point.

By the way, has this ever been observed above the level of invertebrates?

I know about the cypress cross Mediterranean species appropriation by pollen, but that only approximates the example.
(And of course there is the recessive seedless varieties of fruits, but that hardly counts.)

Peter E Retep • September 26, 2008 7:26 PM

@ Davi Ottenheimer

It does not seem like a very intelligent design.

Maybe it's the best the squids could do = = ;-)