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<p class=MsoNormal>This is a tough list to join – lots of specialized
vocabulary and concepts (its purpose of course)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> – 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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Speaking from 30+ years at ISIS working with biodiversity
data from 800+ institutions (zoos, aquariums, etc) on live animal individuals
and groups,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>I’d expand Steve Baskauf’s comment to say people
need BOTH the ability to handle individual animals (a wolf) and ALSO the
situation<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>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). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>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<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>too big to count individuals even as estimates (beehives,
ant colonies), so we change the units and count colonies.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>I hope this was faintly relevant and look forward to meeting
more of you in person when opportunity allows,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Nate Flesness<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Director of Science<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>International Species Information System (ISIS)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.isis.org">www.isis.org</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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