jurek
Well-known member
Who can count, how many independent bird lineages are called common English bird names?
For example: Whistling Ducks Dendrocygna are outgroup of swans, geese and other ducks. That makes them one lineage. Within the latter group, Aix ducks are more closely related to some species not called ducks than to dabbling ducks. Second lineage. Within dabbling ducks, some species are called the Spot-billed Duck, the American Black Duck, the Mexican Duck etc., but are separated from each other by species called teals, pintails, Mallard, shovelers etc.
So, how many monophyletic lineages contain only the species called 'Duck' in the accepted English vernacular name? Suppose somebody tried to make an English name 'Duck' to refer to a monophyletic clade, and rename all the others. How many changes one would need at least?
What about these well known names:
- goose
- eagle
- hawk
- pheasant
- partridge
- pigeon
- dove
- sandpiper
- warbler
- flycatcher
- babbler
- thrush
- robin
- finch?
For example: Whistling Ducks Dendrocygna are outgroup of swans, geese and other ducks. That makes them one lineage. Within the latter group, Aix ducks are more closely related to some species not called ducks than to dabbling ducks. Second lineage. Within dabbling ducks, some species are called the Spot-billed Duck, the American Black Duck, the Mexican Duck etc., but are separated from each other by species called teals, pintails, Mallard, shovelers etc.
So, how many monophyletic lineages contain only the species called 'Duck' in the accepted English vernacular name? Suppose somebody tried to make an English name 'Duck' to refer to a monophyletic clade, and rename all the others. How many changes one would need at least?
What about these well known names:
- goose
- eagle
- hawk
- pheasant
- partridge
- pigeon
- dove
- sandpiper
- warbler
- flycatcher
- babbler
- thrush
- robin
- finch?
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