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Each organism is a unique repository of genetic information
When collecting an organism, have you ever stopped to think that you are extracting a unique individual from nature? And that a single individual represents an important part of the gene pool? It could represent a certain kind of loss from the gene pool if we think of the effective population size. Rare organisms might suffer from our collecting. That is why we must to try to collect as much information from museum collections as possible and that includes, of course, barcoding organisms.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Facundo Tejeda Cajas on -
But when you don´t know the biodiversity of a place, and when you work with megadiverse organisms as the Insects, you need to take samples, because in this case only a little part of the biodiversity will be in museums.
The "rarity" of any species will be reflected on the sample.
Anyway, you can consider it is as drift
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Permalink Reply by Virash Kamal Gupta on -
or a gift to BOLD database
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Permalink Reply by Hugo Mejia-Madrid on -
Thanks for the encouraging comments on "collect organisms after checking the collection." What I only wanted to point out is that there are many deposited specimens in large collections that have never been looked at. Every now and then we find reports of specimens (I myself wrote about one that became a new species and genus!) that were collected years before they were properly studied. Of course, if the material is OK for barcoding, that would be really a drif-gift. This can only be done by expert taxonomists who, like the stamp collector, love to go over their material every day. We have to be thorough with collections first, then attempt large-scale sampling. I guess that could be the morale of the discussion.
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Permalink Reply by Hugo Mejia-Madrid on
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And a thrif-drift-gift, because it is already in a collection.
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Permalink Reply by MOHAMMAD-MONZOOR on -
Dear Hugo,
Painful as the loss of even one, or only sample, may be in the proper characterization, albeit quantification, of any organism or taxon - it must be realized that every treasure yet to be found is worth every ore unexploited. The potential loss makes pain a joke if the eventuality of death to an unknown extinct individual is measured against a permanent safe repository available for future safe assessment and exploitation within responsible limits.
Codes for responsible sample collection, preservation, curation and provenancing need be developed for each case so as not to make contest between natural selection, evolution and modern human life a continuous debate without end.
Cheers,
AKINWALE, M-M.A
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Permalink Reply by Fabian Haas on -
Well I dont see the problem, if we dont collect the organism then it will be eaten before it reproduce or dies of a disease. Happens all the time.
Also I dont see the argument that collecting would be important at species level. Compare it to roadkills and habitat destruction or trade. How many moths and flies are die exhausted at the night lights? If the animal is big, well then you have the chance of taking a sample, like blood, or pieces of the ear (happens again naturally in elephants or rhinos, where people really care for single individuals).
To me thats a theoretical concern you have, more important in public opinion, who forgets about everything else (like their SUVs) and likes to blame people or science for the problems...
Best Fabian
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Permalink Reply by Hugo Mejia-Madrid on
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I guess my argument is being overlooked. In a single phrase "collecting in museums might come in handy". Besides, the experience of living in a Megadiverse country, like mine (I am from Mexico), would be very instructive to all those who think there is plenty of everything over here.
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Permalink Reply by MOHAMMAD-MONZOOR on
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Whether there's too much of everything or not enough of anything, protective custody in good faith is better than unregistered accident at a 'night-bulb'.
We needn't flog the 'argument' further. A collector's code of practice would be thoughtful at this stage, however.
AKINWALE, M-M.A
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