The phylogenetic species concept is important for conservation because it eliminates the need for concepts such as evolutionary significant units. Sumatran tigers can now be looked at in a different way, thought about in a different way. We're not advocating that these results be taken at face value without further study, although other labs using other kinds of DNA markers are now beginning to, I think, support this result.

Species concepts are important, as I hope you can see, for describing diversity, for delineating areas of endemism and for demarcating the boundaries of diagnosable populations. It helps us see captive breeding in a different light. Sumatran tigers are only the third most common tiger in captivity, therfore zoos need to increase the number of Sumatrans in captivity. These kinds of studies are also important for regulating traffic in endangered species - I can take a piece of tissue from a tiger and tell a wildlife agency, yes, that's from a Sumatra tiger, or yes, that's from the mainland. And as we refine these results and techniques, we'll be able to do better.

Species concepts also influence the political impact of conservation discussions. Indonesia now has an endemic tiger on its land. They can say, hey, it's different. So you create a completely different political or cultural notion of the importance of those species. Same thing for our little forest robin. That forest robin has already had major consequences for WWF because now Dzanga-Ndoki is the only place in the world that that one species is found. That is their refuge, their protected area. In this, and many other ways, systematics is important for conservation.

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