What was Oldfield Thomas's approach to species description?
My approach was rooted in detailed observation and comparison, much like a detective examining evidence. I would begin with a single specimen, scrutinizing its physical characteristics – its form, its proportions, its unique markings. Then, I would meticulously compare this specimen against all others in our vast collection, consulting geographical distribution records. Only after this rigorous comparative analysis, examining every similar form and its origin, could I confidently determine if a specimen represented a distinct species or merely a variation within an existing one.
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