[Taxacom] Taxonomy - crisis, what crisis?

[Richard Zander]

Agreed.

As editor of three volumes of a larger work (Flora of North America) I
have a hard time finding authors for certain groups. I've been asking
Russians, now, and find their work superb in the main. 

Many students of older taxonomists, indeed, Neal, are now in QTL
analysis, evo-devo, DNA genetics, and other work where one can indeed
get a job.

R.
 

* * * * * * * * * * * *
Richard H. Zander
Missouri Botanical Garden, PO Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166-0299 USA  
Web sites: http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/resbot/ and
http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/bfna/bfnamenu.htm
Modern Evolutionary Systematics Web site:
http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/resbot/21EvSy.htm


-----Original Message-----
From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
[mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Neal Evenhuis
Sent: Wednesday, October 05, 2011 3:53 PM
To: Thomas Pape; Roderic Page; taxacom
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Taxonomy - crisis, what crisis?


What I see happening in Diptera is students publishing a couple of new
species papers with their major prof and then after getting their degree
do not get a job in taxonomy and go into another area of research or
other employment. THAT phenomenon then dovetails with Chris's lament
that the numbers of taxonomists in museums (and probably other
institutions) is decreasing.

Thus we are where we are. A large set of active older taxonomists (as
Mike Wilson says) and fewer new species being described per author --
probably simply because we are co-authoring more.

-Neal