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“Faced with this, University of Guelph zoologist Paul Hebert has come up with a different way of classifying animals — something he calls “DNA bar codes.” What he does is look for a standard gene or genes and measures genetic differences between creatures. He has already bar-coded 200 known species of moths and found that 2 or 3 per cent worth of genetic variation translates into what traditional taxonomists call a species. For example, varieties of African elephants are as genetically different from one another as they are from the supposed other true elephant species — the Indian elephant.” - The Globe and Mail

Tags: Globe and Mail, India, Paul Hebert, Science, University of Guelph, Zoo