The what, why and how of primate taxonomy

Colin Groves

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    63 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Taxonomy has a well-defined role, which is much more than simply stamp-collecting and pigeon-holing. Species are the units of classification, biogeography and conservation; as such they must be defined as objectively as possible. The biological species concept, still widely used in biology, though predominantly by non-taxonomists and all too often misunderstood, is a process-based concept, which offers no criterion for the classification of allopatric populations beyond inference and hypothesis. The phylogenetic species concept - a pattern-based concept - is as nearly objective as we are likely to get. Amount of difference is not a criterion for recognizing species. It is not possible to insist on monophyly at the specific level, but it is mandatory for the higher categories (genus, family, etc.). The rank we assign to a given supraspecific category should be determined by its time depth.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1105-1126
    Number of pages22
    JournalInternational Journal of Primatology
    Volume25
    Issue number5
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Oct 2004

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