DNA barcoding is useful for taxonomy: A reply to Ebach
Contents
Abstract
DNA barcoding is all too often derided by taxonomists with little understanding of how far this emerging subdiscipline of systematics has progressed since it was proposed by Hebert et al. (2003). A prime example is Ebach’s factually incorrect and misleading recent correspondence (Ebach 2011). Ebach and I agree on one point: indeed many readers of Zootaxa would have cringed as they read his letter, though perhaps the cause was a tasteless joke. For brevity I will address only three key points he raised about the uses for DNA barcoding.