Dr. James Maley to talk about rails and give a tour of the University’s vertebrate collections: We have all heard of splitters vs. lumpers when it comes
to dealing with bird species, but how do scientists determine whether
two species really should be lumped together as a single species or
whether a single species should be divided into two or more? Dr. James
Maley, Collections Manager for the University of Wyoming’s Museum of
Vertebrates, will touch on this issue as he discusses his Ph.D. research
on the very similar Clapper and King rails during the November public meeting. James used morphology (the study of
the form and structure of organisms), genetics, and ecological
adaptations to salt vs freshwater marshes to better understand what
differentiates Clapper and King Rails--in essence what defines them as
species. He also used specimens housed in museums throughout the United
States to understand the genetic diversity of the Clapper/King Rail
complex, often using scrapings of toe pads from specimens when tissue
samples were not available. After his talk, James will provide a tour of
the collections at the University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates to
highlight the importance and utility of bird specimens for avian
research and conservation.
We will also be holding a public vote: At this meeting, our members will vote for three new Board Members (Anika Mahoney, James Maley, Vicki Henry), President (Sophie Osborn), Vice President (Brian Waitkus), and Secretary (Julie Hart) at the meeting before the program. If you are unable to attend, please email your vote to laramie.audubon@gmail.com. Thanks for your support!
When & Where: Wednesday, Nov. 28, 6:30pm Bird Chat & Refreshments, 7:00pm Short Business Meeting & Program, UW Berry Center, corner of 10th & Lewis Streets.
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