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Systematics and the Origin of Species On Ernst Mayr's 100th Anniversary (2005) / Chapter Skim
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1 Introductory Essay: Systematics and the Future of Biology--EDWARD O. WILSON
Pages 1-4

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From page 1...
... A large part of the future of biology depends on interdisciplinary studies that allow easy travel across the three dimensions. Molecular and cellular biology, the subdisciplines of maximum support and activity today, occupy the two lowest levels of biological organization.
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From page 2...
... Their spectacular success has come instead from technology invented and applied with creative genius. They render visible, by crystallography, immunology, genic substitution, and other methods, the anatomy and functions of the ultramicroscopic inhabitants of the cell, which are otherwise entirely beyond the range of the unaided human senses.
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From page 3...
... A conference of biodiversity and informatics leaders held at Harvard University in 2001 agreed that by using new methods already available and including genomics, systematists have the capacity to complete or nearly complete a global biodiversity survey within a single human generation -- 25 years -- at about the cost of the Human Genome Project. To give a better feel for the magnitude of this biological moon shot, consider that whereas very roughly 10% of Earth's species (out of, say, 15­20 million extant)
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From page 4...
... These proportionately still-neglected domains, therefore, offer intellectual stock of substantial growth potential to universities and other research-oriented organizations that invest in them now. It is still relatively easy to provide leadership at the cutting edge of biology extended beyond the molecular and cellular levels of a few species.
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Key Terms

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  • evolutionary biology
  • genome project
  • living phenomena
  • lowest levels

  • global biodiversity
  • biological moon
  • cellular levels
  • maximum support
  • third dimension

  • magnified specimens
  • moon shot
  • informatics leaders
  • ultramicroscopic inhabitants
  • vastly incomplete

  • phenomena originated
  • life forms
  • mercifully free
  • original published
  • million extant

  • online reproductions
  • visiting museums
  • directly available
  • press forward
  • photograph representatives

  • extended beyond
  • genic substitution
  • type collections
  • interdisciplinary studies
  • highly magnified


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