On 6/5/2012 5:10 AM, Peter L Borst wrote:

clip<For positive identification, PCR tests are considered state of the art.>

This would seem to be a much better system than morphometrics, imho.
And thanks for the references - the only problem I can see with it is in this statement:
  
clip<Samples of feral honey bees were taken in remote regions located about 40 miles north east of the USDA Carl Hayden Bee Research Center in Tucson, Arizona, USA. These feral colonies were located in a desert study area that has been monitored since 1987 and has long been highly Africanized (Loper, 1997; Loper et al., 2006).>

This is certainly not an isolated area, and has been heavily used by 
beekeepers for many years.
I worked there from the start with Dr. Loper.
It may well be africanized now, but prob. continues to get new DNA from 
commercial beekeeping operations.

In comparison, the Goldwater Gunnery Range, where I took samples, is  
660,000 acres (as I remember) including several desert mountain ranges, 
a peppering of water sources, and no beekeepers for a very long time.

  I selected this area with the assistance of AZ Game & Fish Dept., and 
believe it was the most isolated available in Arizona at the time. The 
isolation and very limited access, unfortunately, discouraged other 
researchers from working there. The bees were very interesting, with Rob 
Page finding peculiar DNA.
     - John

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