Re: Scientific theory

Don't know about that azalea case. Darwin's observations of finches and their geographic isolation's leading to speciation on the various Galapagos islands helped to generate his views on origin of species.

The Web site
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/zoohons/lecture5/sld001.htm<http://www.abdn.ac.uk/zoohons/lecture5/sld001.htm>
discusses the Galapagos finches (and certain birds of Hawaii). A quote from that site: "...In 1837 [Darwin] began his notebook on the "Transmutation of Species" with a special reference to: the character of South American fossils and species on the Galapagos Archipelago. These facts (especially the latter) origin all my views."

Don

----- Original Message -----
  From: Wayne Shelton<mailto:wdshel@yahoo.com>
  To: Don Winterstein<mailto:dfwinterstein@msn.com> ; ASA<mailto:asa@calvin.edu> ; bivalve<mailto:bivalve@mail.davidson.alumlink.com>
  Sent: Monday, December 20, 2004 9:39 AM
  Subject: Re: Scientific theory

  Isn't there a variation similar to this in
  azaleas in the Appalachians Mountains? I seem to
  remember that from Grad school in Knoxville many
  years ago. The the nearby populations were able
  to cross pollinate, but the distant ones were
  genetically different so as to not allow
  reproduction.

  Wayne

  --- Don Winterstein <dfwinterstein@msn.com<mailto:dfwinterstein@msn.com>>
  wrote:

> Question: I understand you to imply that the
> definition of species involves any kind of
> "reproductive isolation." In your example, the
> isolation would be mechanical, not genetic.
> Presumably the definition would not include
> simple geographic isolation, even though
> geographic isolation is known to lead to new
> species. Correct?
>
> Don
>
Received on Wed Dec 22 05:40:57 2004