Comments on: Desert Shrew (Notiosorex crawfordi) http://www.dailymammal.com/desert-shrew-notiosorex-crawfordi/ 5,000 Mammals, One Day at a Time Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:39:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: L & J http://www.dailymammal.com/desert-shrew-notiosorex-crawfordi/comment-page-1/#comment-611 L & J Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:18:00 +0000 http://www.thedailymammal.com/?p=246#comment-611 very cool Hawaii animals and commentary very cool Hawaii animals and commentary

]]> By: Neil http://www.dailymammal.com/desert-shrew-notiosorex-crawfordi/comment-page-1/#comment-610 Neil Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:12:00 +0000 http://www.thedailymammal.com/?p=246#comment-610 I imagine <a HREF="http://www.eol.org/" REL="nofollow">EOL</a> or such projects might eventually displace published tomes like <i>Walker's</i>. This would be sort of sad, but hopefully would mean that more people would access to accurate information about animals (<i>Walker's</i> is EXPENSIVE!)<br/><br/>As to whether we will ever reach reach an absolute phylogenetic consensus? That's a very interesting question, but probably one that Christopher Taylor could answer much better than. I do suspect that higher level relationships among mammals will settle down a bit in the near term. In the long term of course, there's no telling when a new discovery or development of a new technique will require a major overhaul, that's the tragedy/beauty of science I suppose.<br/><br/><a HREF="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6503045.stm" REL="nofollow">This supertree</a> helps to put things in perspective. I imagine EOL or such projects might eventually displace published tomes like Walker’s. This would be sort of sad, but hopefully would mean that more people would access to accurate information about animals (Walker’s is EXPENSIVE!)

As to whether we will ever reach reach an absolute phylogenetic consensus? That’s a very interesting question, but probably one that Christopher Taylor could answer much better than. I do suspect that higher level relationships among mammals will settle down a bit in the near term. In the long term of course, there’s no telling when a new discovery or development of a new technique will require a major overhaul, that’s the tragedy/beauty of science I suppose.

This supertree helps to put things in perspective.

]]> By: Jennifer Rae Atkins http://www.dailymammal.com/desert-shrew-notiosorex-crawfordi/comment-page-1/#comment-609 Jennifer Rae Atkins Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:31:00 +0000 http://www.thedailymammal.com/?p=246#comment-609 Oh my goodness, it's even worse than I thought! Thanks for the update, Neil. No wonder <i>Walker's</i> hasn't come out with a new edition. They should probably go with a pure online subscription model so they can keep it updated more easily. But I hope they don't. Do you think that as genetic studies progress it will all get finally sifted out and stop changing? Oh my goodness, it’s even worse than I thought! Thanks for the update, Neil. No wonder Walker’s hasn’t come out with a new edition. They should probably go with a pure online subscription model so they can keep it updated more easily. But I hope they don’t. Do you think that as genetic studies progress it will all get finally sifted out and stop changing?

]]> By: Neil http://www.dailymammal.com/desert-shrew-notiosorex-crawfordi/comment-page-1/#comment-608 Neil Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:27:00 +0000 http://www.thedailymammal.com/?p=246#comment-608 For what it's worth, "Soricomorpha" is now thought to be an unnatural group too as it excludes hedgehogs, which are (according to some genetic studies) more closely related to shrews than moles. "Eulipotyphla" is the handy term used these days for "true insectivores" i.e. shrews, moles, hedgehogs, solenodons, moon rats, desmans and what not. For what it’s worth, “Soricomorpha” is now thought to be an unnatural group too as it excludes hedgehogs, which are (according to some genetic studies) more closely related to shrews than moles. “Eulipotyphla” is the handy term used these days for “true insectivores” i.e. shrews, moles, hedgehogs, solenodons, moon rats, desmans and what not.

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