Species
Current thinking divides the albatrosses into four genera. The number of species is a matter of some debate. The IUCN and BirdLife International among others recognise the interim taxonomy of 22 extant species, other authorities retain the more traditional 14 species, and one recent paper proposed a reduction to 13:
- Great albatrosses (Diomedea)
- Wandering Albatross D. exulans
- Antipodean Albatross D. (exulans) antipodensis
- Amsterdam Albatross D. (exulans) amsterdamensis
- Tristan Albatross D. (exulans) dabbenena
- Northern Royal Albatross D. (epomorpha) sanfordi
- Southern Royal Albatross D. epomophora
- North Pacific albatrosses (Phoebastria)
- Waved Albatross P. irrorata
- Short-tailed Albatross P. albatrus
- Black-footed Albatross P. nigripes
- Laysan Albatross P. immutabilis
- Mollymawks (Thalassarche)
- Black-browed Albatross T. melanophris
- Campbell Albatross T. (melanophris) impavida
- Shy Albatross T. cauta
- White-capped Albatross T. steadi
- Chatham Albatross T. (cauta) eremita
- Salvin's Albatross T. (cauta) salvini
- Grey-headed Albatross T. chrysostoma
- Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross T. chlororhynchos
- Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross T. (chlororhynchos) carteri
- Buller's Albatross T. bulleri
- Sooty albatrosses (Phoebetria)
- Sooty Albatross P. fusca
- Light-mantled Albatross P. palpebrata.
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Famous quotes containing the word species:
“Not only does every animal live at the expense of some other animal or plant, but the very plants are at war.... The individuals of a species are like the crew of a foundered ship, and none but good swimmers have a chance of reaching the land.”
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95)
“Heaven and hell suppose two distinct species of men, the good and the bad. But the greatest part of mankind float betwixt vice and virtue.”
—David Hume (1711–1776)
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)