Taxonomy

Day 144: Anyone who enjoys observing the natural world undoubtedly has at least one field guide on their bookshelf. Some of us maintain a substantial library of them for cross-referencing because information will vary from book to book, some including more detail about habitat or identifying features than others. However, depending on the age of your field guide, you may discover radical variations in the scientific names of species. Why?

The science of naming is called "taxonomy." Its purpose is to provide a roadmap to the hierarchy of any particular species, i.e., to those species which are related to it. More often than not, the species name is in some way descriptive in translation; for example, rotundifolia means round-leaved (rotundi- = round, folium = leaf). Genus names are not as easy to interpret, but they are assigned following certain nomenclatural codes. Even so, they are not carved in stone.

The advent of DNA analysis has stirred the taxonomic pot, particularly in the fields of botany and ornithology. Some species which were formerly thought to belong to one genus have been shown to be related to an entirely different one. In keeping with this new information, species' taxonomy may need to be altered to reflect its true lineage. In the last decade, we have seen a sharp uptick in revised nomenclature, particularly for plant and bird species. If, like me, you enjoy throwing the Latin around, don't rely on your 1960 edition field guide for the correct scientific name. Even those shown in 2018 volumes can be suspect.

Life List

Day 125: Just a bit of whimsy here. This image was in response to a photo challenge: Create a whimsical book jacket for a mystery/thriller novel. I took it one more step and wrote a teaser.

"Ornithology professor Jay Byrd is drawn into a murder investigation when several of his colleagues are found dead of poisoning. When it becomes apparent that the victims' names are ironically puns upon actual bird species, Professor Byrd realizes that he may be on the killer's Life List."

Bookended

Day 259: I've known for over a year that Mark Turner, author of my favourite wildflower field guide, was going to be putting out a book on trees. As soon as it became available for pre-order, I put in my bid. I'm the first to admit that my knowledge of trees and shrubs is weak, but it seemed that there was no hope of expanding it without a personal tutor. I was hoping that Mark's release would be as logically and intuitively organized as "Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest," and as complete. The book arrived today, and he didn't disappoint me. Now if I could just convince him to put out one on area lichens, I wouldn't have to carry Brodo around in a wheelbarrow!

Best Of The Shelf

Day 268: We all have our favorite books. Mine just don't happen to be fiction, biographies, collections of poetry or historical accounts. Nope, my favorite books are field guides, and I have them on a variety of subjects ranging from rocks and minerals, weather phenomena and animal tracks to birds, wildflowers and mushrooms and the more specialized category of lichens.

Among habitual users of field guides, the best resources are generally referred to by author's name. "Brodo" is the North American lichen expert, "Sibley" and "Roger Tory Peterson" ("Roger Tory" for short) the bird men. "Mark Turner" is my go-to guy for Washington wildflowers, alongside "Pojar and MacKinnon." Backing up the hard copies, I also have Sibley on my Kindle Fire, ready to use in the field when some warbler crosses my field of vision.

It always pays to cross-reference. Species names change. Microseris alpestris may appear in one reference with the same plant identified as Nothocalais alpestris in another. These changes often reflect the growth of knowledge about the plant or bird/animal. Taxonomy is a science unto itself, and a little Latin goes a long way in helping the field scientist track a particular specimen down. What shape are the leaves? What is the growth habit? Chances are good that the nomenclature will refer to an identifying feature.

For my nickel (and often a more substantial dip into my bank account), field guides are the best books you can add to your library, even if all you do is look at the pretty pictures. Better yet, learn to use the keys and start exploring the fascinating world which exists all around you. Grab your binocs and magnifiers and let's go on a field trip!