. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. Bull. Centenary Suppl. 1992, 112A 159 Systematics and the analysis of integumental lipids: the uropygial gland by J. Jacob Received 13 March 1992 Whilst classification of birds has been exclusively deduced from anatom- ical, morphological and ethological criteria up to the middle of this century, more recently it became obvious that chemical data also may be used to study the relationships between species. Since DNA codes for all genetically dependent properties, its precise analysis could give us the best answer to questions on cl
. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. Bull. Centenary Suppl. 1992, 112A 159 Systematics and the analysis of integumental lipids: the uropygial gland by J. Jacob Received 13 March 1992 Whilst classification of birds has been exclusively deduced from anatom- ical, morphological and ethological criteria up to the middle of this century, more recently it became obvious that chemical data also may be used to study the relationships between species. Since DNA codes for all genetically dependent properties, its precise analysis could give us the best answer to questions on classification. Attempts have been made accord- ingly to use DNA analysis for this purpose, although the method suffers from the fact that no definite structures can presently be obtained, since only the extent of more or less identical sequences may be calculated from the data generated. Nevertheless, Sibley and co-workers have suggested an avian system based upon the so-called DNA/DNA-hybridization experiments (Sibley & Ahlquist 1990). Since DNA, of course, generally codes for the entire chemistry coursing in the organism which depends on the enzymatic equipment, the analysis of the enzymatic activities being responsible for these processes could also be used for chemotaxonomic attempts (protein patterning). Before DNA hy- bridization techniques became available, protein patterning had been used in this way by various authors ( Sibley 1970, Sibley & Ahlquist 1972). Proteins are the final determinant of the formation of the various endogen- ous as well as the externally released secretions. These secondary metabolites also reflect the enzyme equipment of organisms to a certain extent, although chemotaxonomists using this method must be aware that they are looking through a necessarily small window into the complex reality of life. The pattern of the lipid constituents formed in the uropygial gland (preen gland) of birds has been found to be very characteristic for a
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