Tern's taxonomy

[drymar]

Dear All!

I want to now, that which tern's system is in use.
Is the new system (Bridge et al. 2005) recognized: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sternidae ?

There is the article: http://scholar.library.csi.cuny.edu/~fburbrink/Courses/Vertebrate%20systematics%20seminar/Bridge%20et%20al%202005%20.pdf


Thanks for the answers!

Kiss Tamás

[Xenospiza]

I believe at least the Dutch and the Americans have adopted it already.

[halftwo]

The question could be: WHO is using which taxonomy? And this goes for a lot of birds - not just the terns.
Different authorities/countries will revise/recommend revisions in taxonomy as work progresses - your example being a good case. ( eg. see www.surfbirds.com/sbirds/archives/2005/10/index.html )
There will also be continuing debate/differences of opinion as time goes on.
New work on DNA sequencing is always ongoing & with all birds (& other animals) this changes the scientific viewpoint.
By the time published material is out other research has been carried out to supersede it. Differences in timing between authorities' acceptance will mean a difference in use of any one system from time to time.
Even the authors of the article you mention make proposals, and accept that interpretation of some details are possible.
I find the whole thing both fascinating and frustrating, and with it goes the whole species/sub-species debate - with the Cayenne tern question popping up here for instance.
What it boils down to is time & our place on the timeline. At present there are sub-species which will become full species as they continue to evolve. Our snapshot in time means that some sub-species/species are not possible to call presently. Go forward half a million years & that sub-species is now a species.
But to get back to your question - as Xenospiza says - some authorities have recognised the latest research on the terns. Others may follow - or not!
Halftwo

[njlarsen]

Given that you live in Europe, you may want to take a look at http://www.aerc.eu/aerc_tac.htm. In there, you will find a link to the latest taxonomic recommendations from the Association of European Rarities Committees taxomomy group. That is as close as you will get to a European consensus at the moment.

cheers
Niels

[drymar]

Many thanks for the responses!

Regards!

Tamás

[SteveO43]

Given that you live in Europe, you may want to take a look at http://www.aerc.eu/aerc_tac.htm. In there, you will find a link to the latest taxonomic recommendations from the Association of European Rarities Committees taxomomy group. That is as close as you will get to a European consensus at the moment.

cheers
Niels

Niels,

The AERC website appears to have been unchanged for almost two years. Is that still a good URL, has the organization stopped functioning, or is it just taking a really long time to gain additional consensus?

[njlarsen]

Niels,

The AERC website appears to have been unchanged for almost two years. Is that still a good URL, has the organization stopped functioning, or is it just taking a really long time to gain additional consensus?

Steve, you may notice that I live in the Caribbean. I had not noticed that the last update was from 2005, I had not heard that the TAC had stopped working or anything.

Sorry I could not be of more help
Niels

[SteveO43]

Steve, you may notice that I live in the Caribbean. I had not noticed that the last update was from 2005, I had not heard that the TAC had stopped working or anything.

Sorry I could not be of more help
Niels
Actually, I did know you were in the Caribbean. Couldn't you feeI the jealousy? Compared to Michigan in Winter?

I was just hoping that you or someone else was aware of the current status of the AERC, if they had changed URLs, etc. It sounds like a great idea, and I hoped they were still working at achieving consensus.

[Docmartin]

Niels,

The AERC website appears to have been unchanged for almost two years. Is that still a good URL, has the organization stopped functioning, or is it just taking a really long time to gain additional consensus?


The AERC is still going. An update to the 2003 taxonomy document is in prep.

wrt Terns, the BOU adopted the tern generic limits in the TSC 3rd report, except that crested terns placed in Thallaseus by Bridge et al (2005) have been retained in Sterna, at least for now.

For anyone who wants a 'one-stop' summary of recent taxonomic changes adopted to the BOU British and AERC Western Palearctic list, with reasons, I modestly point them at my article in the June 2006 issue of British Birds at http://www.britishbirds.co.uk/june2006.htm

Single back issues are available from there.

[njlarsen]

For anyone who wants a 'one-stop' summary of recent taxonomic changes adopted to the BOU British and AERC Western Palearctic list, with reasons, I modestly point them at my article in the June 2006 issue of British Birds at http://www.britishbirds.co.uk/june2006.htm

Single back issues are available from there.

Unfortunately, trying to download that single back issue gave me an issue from 2005, not the one I was looking at :stuck:

Niels ;)