tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19216099.post8535107062239212022..comments2024-02-16T06:03:12.489-06:00Comments on BrummellBlog: On Being a Zoological GeneralistTheBrummellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08973380652057861796noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19216099.post-85035349423167555112007-12-29T15:57:00.000-06:002007-12-29T15:57:00.000-06:00You make a good point. It's true I look at basica...You make a good point. It's true I look at basically one phenotype in a large number of species across a very broad taxonomic range. You are certainly not alone among biologists who study a number of distinct aspects of a small number of species.<BR/><BR/>My use of the terms "generalist" and "specialist" refer only to taxonomic diversity at higher levels (Order and higher), not to anything else. And I hope I didn't imply any inequality of quantity or quality of work - I generally assume a year's work or some other standardizable metric like a PhD is pretty equivalent across study subjects.TheBrummellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08973380652057861796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19216099.post-74103670056626905672007-12-29T11:45:00.000-06:002007-12-29T11:45:00.000-06:00'there aren't many labs...' Ungh.'there aren't many <B>labs</B>...' Ungh.Carlohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00153076425887492166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19216099.post-77964342018630663412007-12-29T11:41:00.000-06:002007-12-29T11:41:00.000-06:00Hmm... Very difficult classification conundrums ha...Hmm... Very difficult classification conundrums have you posed, yes? It's weird because I sorta see an interesting distinction in you use of the terms 'specialist' and 'generalist' (though I agree with your assessment). My primary research focus is the <I>Drosophila melanogaster</I> subgroup, however, I study a wide variety of loosely-related elements pertaining to this group (I also finished a study in nematodes, so I'm not <B>totally</B> specialist). You on the other hand look at something arguably fairly specific in a wide variety of organisms.<BR/><BR/>So in terms of species, I see the distinction between generalist and specialist. However, there aren't many lab that look at a wide variety of aspects of many different species (or that can afford to!).Carlohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00153076425887492166noreply@blogger.com