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Index of Subjects --f46d04388e5bf698c904ece3fe7a Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hi Steve, Could you be confusing the Rock Dove, C. livia with the Common Wood Pigeon, C, palumbus? I have never heard of C. livia nesting in trees, which is the norm for the Comon Wood Pigeon as I understand. Ron On Fri, Dec 6, 2013 at 4:14 PM, Stephen Shaw <srshaw@dal.ca> wrote: > Pigeons? In Britain, one of the original homes of C. livia and where I > grew up, the term 'rock dove' was unknown at least to us kids -- we called > them wood pigeons. While they would nest in cliffs (Sibley) and abandoned > quarries as well as under man-made structures like bridges, we usually > encountered them nesting in wooded areas in low trees. Many varieties > were domesticated much earlier for food and/or by 'pigeon fanciers' which > strongly influenced Darwin in 'The Origin', where he cites them as a main > example of the large range of variation that can be achieved by selective > interbreeding -- he also raised varieties himself. Where I grew up there > was also an extensive network of pigeon-racing enthusiasts, using 'homing > pigeons'. They were also kept much earlier for food (pigeon pie?) and > fertilizer in large, elaborate 'dovecotes' in UK and Europe from the Romans > onwards (columbaria), many stone examples of which still survive. The > modern expansion in the species apparently came from feral escapees that > started interbreeding in the wild. > > It's a seemingly odd question to ask what interacting zoologists would > call them, as I don't think that there is an extensive group of scientists > who work on pigeons as such and who would worry about this (outside a > perhaps dwindling subgroup of pigeon-using psychologists who use them in > learning discrimination tests, because they can be taught to peck coloured > keys in search of an associated reward). By contrast there are now > probably tens of thousands of scientists using 'Drosophila', usually D. > melanogaster, who mostly seem not to be worried that the genus name ought > to be, and perhaps might even end up being, changed to Sophophora. > Steve (Halifax) > > ________________________________________ > From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] on > behalf of Andrew Horn [aghorn@dal.ca] > Sent: Friday, December 06, 2013 1:48 PM > To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] How scientists refer to pigeons > > Interesting question. Definitely "pigeon", except when jokingly trying to > fancy up a lackluster birdlist with "Rock Dove". > > But I hadn't thought of Randy's point. E.g., I wonder what zoologists in > the range of Band-tailed Pigeons would say. > > Andy > > On Dec 6, 2013, at 1:03 PM, Randy Lauff wrote: > > If it's clear by the context that I'm referring to the local bird, I just > say "pigeon"; since we don't have any other species of pigeon, there should > be no confusion. > > Randy > _________________________________ > RF Lauff > Way in the boonies of > Antigonish County, NS. > > > On 6 December 2013 12:42, Gerald <naturens@zdoit.airpost.net<mailto: > naturens@zdoit.airpost.net>> wrote: > How do zoologists refer to the rock pigeon in conversation with other > zoologists? I refer to Columba livia. Not in papers or presentations, > just talking around the lab. For example, scientists usually say > Drosophila instead of fruit fly or Drosophila melanogaster, and > Strongylo to refer to Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. > > Thanks > > -- > Gerald > > > -- Ronald G. Arsenault Moncton, N.B. --f46d04388e5bf698c904ece3fe7a Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">Hi Steve,<div><br></div><div>Could you be confusing the Ro= ck Dove, C. livia with the Common Wood Pigeon, C, palumbus? =A0I have never= heard of C. livia nesting in trees, which is the norm for the Comon Wood P= igeon as I understand.</div> <div><br></div><div>Ron</div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><br><div = class=3D"gmail_quote">On Fri, Dec 6, 2013 at 4:14 PM, Stephen Shaw <span di= r=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:srshaw@dal.ca" target=3D"_blank">srshaw@dal= .ca</a>></span> wrote:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p= x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Pigeons? =A0In Britain, one of the original = homes of C. livia and where I grew up, the term 'rock dove' was unk= nown at least to us kids -- we called them wood pigeons. =A0While they woul= d nest in cliffs (Sibley) and abandoned quarries as well as under man-made = structures like bridges, we usually encountered them nesting in wooded area= s in low trees. =A0 Many varieties were domesticated much earlier for food = and/or by 'pigeon fanciers' which strongly influenced Darwin in = 9;The Origin', where he cites them as a main example of the large range= of variation that can be achieved by selective interbreeding -- he also ra= ised varieties himself. =A0 Where I grew up there was also an extensive net= work of pigeon-racing enthusiasts, using 'homing pigeons'. They wer= e also kept much earlier for food (pigeon pie?) and fertilizer in large, el= aborate 'dovecotes' in UK and Europe from the Romans onwards (colum= baria), many stone examples of which still survive. =A0The modern expansion= in the species apparently came from feral escapees that started interbreed= ing in the wild.<br> <br> It's a seemingly odd question to ask what interacting zoologists would = call them, as I don't think that there is an extensive group of scienti= sts who work on pigeons as such and who would worry about this (outside a p= erhaps dwindling subgroup of pigeon-using psychologists who use them in lea= rning discrimination tests, because they can be taught to peck coloured key= s in search of an associated reward). =A0By contrast there are now probably= tens of thousands of scientists using 'Drosophila', usually D. mel= anogaster, who mostly seem not to be worried that the genus name ought to b= e, and perhaps might even end up being, changed to Sophophora.<br> =A0Steve (Halifax)<br> <br> ________________________________________<br> From: <a href=3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens-owner@chebu= cto.ns.ca</a> [<a href=3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens-ow= ner@chebucto.ns.ca</a>] on behalf of Andrew Horn [<a href=3D"mailto:aghorn@= dal.ca">aghorn@dal.ca</a>]<br> Sent: Friday, December 06, 2013 1:48 PM<br>