[tdwg-content] newbie comments on Individual

[Richard Pyle]

Hi Nate,
 
I agree completely, and yes -- I do think it is relevant.  What we haven't
really discussed in detail on this thread is how you scope an "Individual".
I think the more examples we give for how it's useful to exapnd the concept
of an "Individual" beyond a single organism, and into things like small
groups, large groups, colonies, etc. -- perhaps all the way up to
populations or even taxa -- the better able we'll be to get our collective
heads around things.  I had never previously considered your example of a
group in the living organism sense (evemn though my first job was at a
public aquarium!), so I think this is very useful to toss into the mix.
 
Aloha,
Rich


  _____  

From: tdwg-content-bounces at lists.tdwg.org
[mailto:tdwg-content-bounces at lists.tdwg.org] On Behalf Of Nate Flesness
Sent: Monday, November 01, 2010 7:59 AM
To: tdwg-content at lists.tdwg.org
Subject: [tdwg-content] newbie comments on Individual



This is a tough list to join - lots of specialized vocabulary and concepts
(its purpose of course)

 - I've been "lurking" awhile, and this is the first time I think I
understand and might have something small to add from the live collections
point of view.

 

Speaking from 30+ years at ISIS working with biodiversity data from 800+
institutions (zoos, aquariums, etc) on live animal individuals and groups,

I'd expand Steve Baskauf's comment to say people need BOTH the ability to
handle individual animals (a wolf) and ALSO the situation

Where your data does not distinguish individuals but you track a group
identity and some kind of count (a wolf pack. we do that, and/or by life
stage, and/or by sex). 

 

Some live fish can be practically tracked as individuals, and sometimes
obviously not because there are ~5000 in that tank. Some of our groups are

too big to count individuals even as estimates (beehives, ant colonies), so
we change the units and count colonies.

 

I hope this was faintly relevant and look forward to meeting more of you in
person when opportunity allows,

 

Nate Flesness

Director of Science

International Species Information System (ISIS)

www.isis.org

 

 

 

 

 

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