All I am saying is that the chief difference between what are sold as Italians and Carniolans in the US is color, which is a genetic trait, and it has been selected for. How do you think bees that have lived side by side in the US for 150 years could still be genetically distinct?

Nonsense.   complete nonsense.   While there is quite obviously a lot of overlap and interbreeding,  there is also distinction,  depending on breeder and local.
The paper you cited that covers  bees in 2 time periods alone showed that.   It sems to me that the clip you pulled was either cherry picking  or a complete misreading of the authors work and summary.   the report itself showed 3 major types.   I saw nothing in there showing that they were "now only one"   that report was a genetic map of to regions and the historical linage in relationship to the number of alleles and gentic bottlenecks,  not a summary of how  there are no longer different types!

While your correct color is quite subjective,  many breeders pick more than coolor and pick traits such as steady brood,  or explosive brood rearing,  as traits,  others even dig for selective stock.  Your argument is much like the current trend to sell every dang mutt out there as a hybrid ( my daughter just paid 1500 for goldendoodle)  lots of mutts out there,  but it in no way means the base stock is completly gone.  
one may not notice trends until you run a lot of them or the variations side by side,  but the traits as outlined in almost every bee book since the last century are still quite visable should you get the right stock and look.
We can debate what you call it,  or what it is till the cow come home,  but until you show data that tested what Iwould call "known" carnis  vs  "known Itilians"  your just reading what you want to in the reports.
I am guessing that  if you  include Oliveraz and Weavers you would need to add buckfast and saskatraz to the list.......  


Anne,  I should have added a location qualifier.   Here in the midwest,  IT queens start brooding in winter warm spells,  and will starve out very quickly.
Charles
   

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html