cormorants (1 Viewer)

can a taxonomist please enlighten me .

1 Our Great Cormorant is Phalacrocorax carbo lucidus and is white breasted.

2 UK Cormorant is Phalacrocorax carbo and has no white on the breast

3 S.A. according to the latest 'Roberts' has the White-breasted Cormorant and seems to have 2 sub species :- Phalacrocorax lucidus and Phalacrocorax carbo

How many species are there please ?


Mike D in Nairobi

mike davidson said:

How many species are there please ?


Mike D in Nairobi

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It depends who you ask: some people think these are two similar and closely related species; and others think they are two different forms of the same species.

The current trend is to classify obviously different forms such as these as different species (splitting). A few years ago the trend was to more likely to include closely related forms together in one species (lumping).

It all depends which of the many species concepts you adhere to, but there is no agreed formula and the debate will continue (much to the upset of those who want to put a definitive figure to how many species they have seen).

Hi Mike
There is really only one 'Great Cormorant' at the moment and the white-breasted races, which start in Morocco and extend throughout Africa, are all part of it. Maybe in the future they could be split off as a separate species.
Chers
Steve

Hi Steve

so the ones we saw at Rutland water are supposedy the same as ours ? They are not very similar !


Mike

Steve Lister said:

Hi Mike
There is really only one 'Great Cormorant' at the moment and the white-breasted races, which start in Morocco and extend throughout Africa, are all part of it. Maybe in the future they could be split off as a separate species.
Chers
Steve

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