FW: Type of Homo sapiens

[Richard Jensen]

This has been interesting.  Botanists require the lectotype to be chosen
from among those specimens used by the author in preparing the
description.  If none of these specimens exist, then a neotype is
designated.  Surely there is a museum specimen that was used in preparing
the original specimen.  Or, did Linnaeus actually employ his own
cranium as he contemplated the species in question?

Bob Hope would have to be a neotype!


Richard J. Jensen      |   E-MAIL: rjensen at saintmarys.edu
Dept. of Biology       |   TELEPHONE: 219-284-4674
Saint Mary's College   |   FAX: 219-284-4716
Notre Dame, IN  46556  |

On Wed, 23 Aug 1995, Petersen, Mary E. {ZMUC} wrote:

> Wednesday, 23 August 1995
>
> Dear Taxacomers,
>
> Re the recent comments on the type of _Homo sapiens_:
>
> Assuming the following posting from 25 January 1995 is correct, Steam (1959)
> has already designated Linnaeus as Lectotype of _Homo sapiens_.
>
> Mary E. Petersen
> Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen
> mepetersen at zmuc.ku.dk
>  ----------------------------------
> >ooooo((o:>
>  -------------------
>
> ================== Beginning of Forwarded Message =================
>
> From: owner-taxacom
> To: Multiple recipients of list TAXACOM
> Subject: Re: Type of Homo sapiens
> Date: Wednesday, January 25, 1995 2:34PM
>
> Edward Cope (1840-1897) is not the "lectotype" of Homo sapiens Linnaeus,
> 1758, by subsequent designation by Psihoyos 1994; he was not part of
> Linnaeus's (1707-1778) type series.  Linnaeus himself was designated the
> lectotype by Stearn (1959:4).
>
> Literature Cited
>
> Psihoyos, L. (with Knoebber, J.).  1994.  Hunting dinosaurs.  Random House,
>     New York, 267 pp.
> Stearn, W. T.  1959.  The background of Linnaeus's contributions to the
>     nomenclature and methods of systematic biology.  Systematic Zoology,
>     8:4-22.
>
> Earle Spamer
> Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia
>
> spamer at say.acnatsci.org
>
> ================= End of Forwarded Message ===================
>