Access

News Feature

Nature 446, 250-253 (15 March 2007) | doi:10.1038/446250a; Published online 14 March 2007

Linnaeus at 300: The species and the specious

Emma Marris1

  1. Emma Marris is a correspondent for Nature in Washington DC.

Top

For some, species are simply the things you save; but for taxonomists, the concept is much more complex. Emma Marris asks whether Linnaeus's legacy is cut out for conservation.

Conservationists around the world were delighted to hear that the United States was considering adding polar bears to the list of animals enjoying the protection of the Endangered Species Act — the cornerstone of US environmental law since 1973. But some experts may have greeted the news with a wry smile.