[Taxacom] Economist leader addressed to taxonomists

[Doug Yanega]

>I thought this editorial on species inflation might be of interest to 
>some here. cheer, colin
>
>http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9191545

This is a classic example of "bait and switch". The header mentions 
conservationists, and then the text goes on to make it sound like 
taxonomists = conservationists. It's like blaming a gun manufacturer 
for someone who goes on a shooting spree using one of their guns. It 
also includes the erroneous observation that the majority of new 
species delimitations are occurring in the "charismatic megafauna" - 
when even a cursory examination of the papers on molecular taxonomy 
will reveal that molecular taxonomy is being used for any groups for 
which there are taxonomists (DUH!), including a crapload of "obscure 
microfauna". I think most people would consider this article "yellow 
journalism".

Sincerely,
-- 

Doug Yanega        Dept. of Entomology         Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0314        skype: dyanega
phone: (951) 827-4315 (standard disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
              http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html
   "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
         is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82