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Date: | Fri, 6 Apr 2018 08:38:12 -0400 |
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Hi all
A lot of interesting work is being done on the subject of locally adapted bees, genetic introgression, diversity, etc. I already cited the work on bees in California where current populations were compared to museum specimens to track changes over time and the gene flow over distances. Much more of this type of work has been done in Europe where native populations exist and there is the imperative to conserve genetic heritage, for its intrinsic value (as opposed to its value in commerce).
These populations evolved over thousands of years and are in danger of being subsumed into a hybrid stock selected for its suitability for commercial use. Commercial strains tend to have good qualities such as adaptability to diverse regions, predictable behavior, etc. while local stocks may be reservoirs of unique alleles aside from being worthy of preservation for their own sake. Once a species or sub-species is lost, it is unlikely we will get it back.
But see:
Slater, Matthew H., and Hayley Clatterbuck. "A pragmatic approach to the possibility of de-extinction." Biology & Philosophy 33.1-2 (2018): 4.
Piotrowska, Monika. "Meet the new mammoth, same as the old? Resurrecting the Mammuthus primigenius." Biology & Philosophy 33.1-2 (2018): 5.
PLB
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