Editing Reindeer (section)

==== Ecotypes ====
In 2011, noting that the former classifications of ''Rangifer tarandus'', either with prevailing [[taxonomy]] on subspecies, designations based on [[ecotype]]s, or natural population groupings, failed to capture "the variability of caribou across their range in Canada" needed for effective subspecies conservation and management, COSEWIC developed Designatable Unit (DU) attribution,<ref name="COSEWIC2011DUReport" /> an adaptation of "evolutionary significant units".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Waples |first=Robin S. |title=Evolutionary significant units and the conservation of biological diversity under the Endangered Species Act. In: Nielson, J.L. (ed.) Evolution and the aquatic ecosystem: Defining unique units in population conservation |publisher=American Fisheries Society Symposium 17 |year=1995 |location=Bethesda, Maryland |pages=8–27}}</ref> The 12 designatable units for caribou in Canada (that is, excluding Alaska and Greenland) based on ecology, behavior and, importantly, genetics (but excluding [[Morphology (biology)|morphology]] and archaeology) essentially followed the previously named subspecies distributions, without naming them as such, plus some ecotypes. Ecotypes are not [[Phylogenetics|phylogenetically]] based and cannot substitute for taxonomy.<ref>Cronin, M.A. (2006) A proposal to eliminate redundant terminology for intra-species groups. Wildlife Society Bulletin 34: 237-241.</ref>