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The article presents a paper which discussed geographic variation in Alaskan Song Sparrows or Melospiza melodia. The researchers examined genetic and morphological characteristics of the Song Sparrows of northwestern North America. They stressed the importance of using multiple lines of evidence, genetic and morphological when evaluating subspecific status. A figure that shows map of Song Sparrow subspecies and collection locations used in genetic data analyses is presented. A pronounced east-to-west increase in individual body mass among subspecies was also observed.

The article discusses a paper that summarized the history of the subspecies concept as well as the major debates and issues surrounding its use. The significance of subspecies under the U.S. Endangered Species Act was examined. Ten issues were covered by the authors that have already been resolved, such as sampling theory, evolutionary biology and the heterogeneity of named subspecies. It is noted that the subspecies concept comprises two important issues namely trinomial nomenclature and the question of what constitutes a subspecies.

This section presents a summary of evaluation of avian subspecies and prospectus on the subject of avian subspecies, which was the focus of 14 papers in the April 2010 issue of "Ornithological Monographs." It is noted that most authors of the papers considered the concept of subspecies a valid taxonomic category for units below the species level. They all agreed that the best approach in the recognition of a subspecies is to include multiple characters. There also has been an increasing use of molecular methods alone to improve people's understanding of variation among populations.