tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460788270738656369.post7993057682685955403..comments2023-12-24T07:02:43.274+08:00Comments on Catalogue of Organisms: Possibly The Coolest Thing I Had Published This YearChristopher Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11075565866351612441noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460788270738656369.post-80376738780637303602010-01-19T03:06:02.478+11:002010-01-19T03:06:02.478+11:00Great post and blog, but it took Myrmecos for me t...Great post and blog, but it took Myrmecos for me to find it.<br /><br />Glenn Hunt got shanghai'd into the Oribatida in the 90's, so I don't think he had much time to get back to his true love. Good to see that another Australian has picked up where he left off.Davehttp://macromite.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460788270738656369.post-87028323150932747252009-12-28T07:37:47.627+11:002009-12-28T07:37:47.627+11:00Speculation is always appropriate when it amounts ...Speculation is always appropriate when it amounts to listing the reasonable alternative explanations for an anomaly. <br /><br />Not to list the dimorphist alternative would amount to unlabeled speculation that there really are two species. It's a job for future scientists to resolve the mystery. Labeled is better than unlabeled. The mystery is nature's, so no fault of yours.<br /><br />When in doubt, do what Huxley did!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00831355954619691739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460788270738656369.post-30698390499526658992009-12-27T04:32:28.680+11:002009-12-27T04:32:28.680+11:00Ahhh, I see. Thanks. I didn't think of the asy...Ahhh, I see. Thanks. I didn't think of the asymmetry as a characteristic in itself. And you said they were "identical except", not mentioning the size.Patnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460788270738656369.post-60631721947952657532009-12-27T02:58:39.875+11:002009-12-27T02:58:39.875+11:00The treatment of Australiscutum graciliforceps and...The treatment of <i>Australiscutum graciliforceps</i> and <i>A. triplodaemon</i> as separate species is provisional rather than definite - they may well be dimorphs of a single species. If they had differed only in the size of the chelicerae, I would have probably dealt with them as one, but as they differ in both size and symmetry I didn't feel confident making that assumption. Plenty of other harvestmen morphs differ in size, but so far we don't know of any others differing in symmetry. Treating the forms as provisionally separate highlights the differences, but still leaves the door open for the two to be synonymised if future study requires it. All taxonomy is potentially open to revision, and is only as good as the last reviewer was able or willing to make it.<br /><br />I'll see what I can do about the plants.Christopher Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11075565866351612441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460788270738656369.post-52382433322444012882009-12-27T02:29:48.647+11:002009-12-27T02:29:48.647+11:00I should state before I start that I am not a scie...I should state before I start that I am not a scientist just an interested amateur. I have read lots of this blog in several fits of fascinated insomnia leading to me having to eat a bar of 85% chocolate just to stay awake at work the next day. My boss wouldn't thank you but I do.<br /><br />I am intrigued as to why you decided that A. graciliforceps and A. triplodaemon must be two species when you refer to the marked male dimorphism between wimps and machos in Equitius spp. In much the same area as Australiscutum?<br /><br />http://catalogue-of-organisms.blogspot.com/2009/06/saintly-harvestmen-taxon-of-week.html<br /><br />Could the efficiency of the male in paternal protection of the eggs be a possible factor here? Do these genera have maternal and paternal care? I imagine the egg predators would be likely to be bigger than the usual prey of a harvestman. But keeping one small practical chelicera would mean they could still feed themselves easily on small prey?<br /><br />Do harvestmen give nuptial gifts? <br /><br />More strange plants please, the idea of an independent asexually-reproducing fern gametophyte had me gobsmacked for a good half hour.Patnoreply@blogger.com