• About Us
    • Contact Us
      • Volunteer & Internship Opportunities
    • Our Vision
    • The HIS Board
    • Support Us
    • Community Educational Partners
    • Corporate & Foundation Support
  • STEM Resources
    • Your State/Province
      • United States
    • Resource Reviews
    • Elementary
      • Elementary Science
      • Elementary Technology
      • Elementary Engineering
      • Elementary Math
    • Secondary
      • Secondary Science
      • Secondary Technology
      • Secondary Engineering
      • Secondary Math
    • FIRST Robotics
    • 4-H STEM/Science Curriculum
    • Conference Excerpts
  • Creation Resources
  • You Should Try This at Home

Homeschool Institute of Science

Just another WordPress site

November 22, 2017

Just Across the County Line

A somewhat late report on the “newest” species of North American bird, the Cassia Crossbill. As occurs annually, the taxonomy of birds in the U.S. and Canada is reassessed by the American Ornithological Society. In 2017 this group was split off into its own species for the first time. This bird has been studied in SE Idaho for years. According to Audubon.org,

“While most crossbills wander widely, this type is very sedentary, staying in the South Hills and Albion Mountains of southern Idaho. The cones of lodgepole pines in those ranges offer a steady supply of seeds for the crossbills to eat, apparently because there are no squirrels there to compete for them—and so the new species name sinesciurus means “without squirrels.” The new crossbill’s English name honors Cassia County, Idaho, which includes the complete known range of the species. North America already has birds named for cities (like Philadelphia Vireo), states (Kentucky Warbler), and countries (Canada Goose), but this may be the first one named for a county.”

https://idahobirds.net/birding-idaho/cassia-crossbill/

Bird taxonomy, like that of many other taxa (category levels), is fluid. Many factors are considered when reclassifying or changing the names of individual species to reflect its relationship to other like species. DNA markers and purported evolutionary relationships feature prominently in this effort today. This is a Catch 22 as the relationships used to classify a creature are continually in flux and relative to one another.

It is encouraging that extent of interbreeding with other red crossbills, vocalizations, and depth of beak among other characteristics were primary in classifying the Cassia crossbill as distinct. The type of work done by Dr. Benkham prioritizes natural history and morphological differences which provide empirical evidence for splitting off this group. Though Benkahm attributes this distinction to co-evolution between crossbills and lodgepole pines, the empirical evidence points to natural selection working at the species level catalyzed by an herbivore-producer relationship. Yet another example of connecting a specific instance of observable natural selection at work to the grand evolutionary narrative.

Photo by Craig Benkman, the primary researcher on this project, from the University of Wyoming.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Article by William Boyd / Biology, Natural History, Zoology

This Morning in Creation

A short, periodic audio exploration of the richness of Creation, usually just a few blocks or miles from the … Continue Reading

Recent Posts

  • Blessing of the Dolphins
  • Iconography and the Woke Multiverse
  • This Morning in Creation
  • Design in the Science Classroom
  • This Morning in Creation

Instagram

Just SW of Lincoln, MT we got into a herd of elk. The calves were bedded down and peaking up over the tall grass. We backed up and the herd crossed the road to join them. First the cows and then the young sassy bulls.
Sego Lily, Calochortus nuttallii. Keystone State Park, WY. Western edge of the Black Hills. The lake is a reservoir of the Belle Fourche River, 13,500 acres in size. Shortgrass prairie ecosystem. #keystonestatepark #shortgrassprairie #segolily #Wyoming #botany #flowers
Prickly pear cactus in flower. Keyhole State Park, WY. #pricklypear #flower #cactus #wyoming #botany
Western North Carolina with my dude. Behind us in the first photo is Ponderosa cabin at Camp Daniel Boone. This was home for our high adventure team between our 50 mile hike/canoe trips in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests and the Little Tennessee Rivers.
Herping in South Carolina! Anole and skink. #anole #skink #herping
I get the last piece! Mine, mine, mine! #Izumisushi #sushi #Spokane #seafood

PO Box 8605
Moscow, ID 83843
(208) 301-4737

The Homeschool Institute of Science, Inc. is a registered 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible.

Copyright © 2022 · Homeschool Institute of Science on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.