Exactly. I urge people interested in these matters to read Tursch &
Greifeneder. "Oliva Shells. The genus Oliva and the Species problem." The
authors brilliantly approach many of these taboo subjects.





> Guido is certainly rigth. In the time when words such as "biodiversity" and
> "ecosystems" have become of lage usage (and so abused ...) the world is
> loosing the key to know, understand, protect and finally manage the very
> taxonomic biodiversity. Specialists are the species actually most
> endangered. Being a specialist of a group in not useful for the academic
> promotion as is being able to raise funds. And raising funding for
> taxonomic inventorying for instance is a very hard task. Thus where is the
> utility of being a specialist in Assimineidae?
> And when we realize that our knowledge of the actual numbers of the
> biodiversity (the number of species living on our planet) if very far from
> being satisfactory ...... The great gaps are just iun those goup where the
> specialists are missing.
>
> =========================================================
> Marco Oliverio - Evolutionary Biology PhD
> Research Scientist
>
> Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell'Uomo
> Viale dell'Universita' 32
> I-00185 Roma   ITALY
>
> phone  +39.06.49914307
> FAX    +39.06.4958259
> e-mail: [log in to unmask]

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Thousands of shells available online, and massive conchological info.
http://www.conchology.be/

For art lovers: a fine collection of antique African knives
http://www.mambele.be
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