Dear Aydin and friends,

As far as I know, there is sense of spatial scale: sympatric means in the
same area (i.e., the two colors overlap in a range map), syntopic means on
the very same spot (you will collect them together in the same place and
habitat).  What an area or a spot may be, depends of course on the
perspective you take.  So they can be used in the macro and micro sense.
 There can be no strict distinction, for the scale of observation varies
-ideally, according to the mobility of the organisms being studied.
 Syntopy for land snails is at a finer scale than it is for mammals or
birds.

As for the Oliva issue, I can't grasp what may be the use of arguing over
morphospecies -we should strive to find out what real species are there,
using all possible evidence.  We all know that sometimes different species
are extremely similar, while other species exhibit wide variation... and
one cannot tell without some research into their biology!

I remember now an old joke where the teacher asks how many parallel lines
can be drawn over the same point, and the Little James answers why, it
depends on the size of that point!

Best,

Cristian

-----Mensaje original-----
De:     aydin [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Enviado el:     martes 30 de noviembre de2004 17:24
Para:   [log in to unmask]
Asunto: Re: syntopic vs sympatric

This is how Mayr (Populations, Species and Evolution, 1970)
defines "sympatry": "The occurrence of 2 or more populations in the same
area; more precisely, the existence of a population in breeding condition
within the crusising range of individuals of another population."

If this is what sympatric means, then what does syntopic mean? I still
don't get it. I have a feeling the 2 terms are used interchangeably by
different people.

Aydin

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