species names for money

[Robin Panza]

>I believe it may have been me who started that discussion, or at least
>added fuel to the fire.  The problem was that we wish to fund the training
>of Kenyan, Ugandan, and Tanzanian taxonomists for biodiversity work in the
>Lake Victoria region, and to fund the work itself, and we are having

The dollars for names discussion started with the publication of a bird species
description (by Nigel Collar, I think).  The bird's name was either sold or
auctioned, and the money went to buying (Costa Rican?) rainforest for
preservation.  I don't remember anyone wildly enthusiastic about that, but
neither do I remember anyone particularly opposed.  There were just a lot of
raised eyebrows and quizzical expressions.

Robin Panza                     panzar at clpgh.org
Section of Birds, Carnegie Museum of Natural History
[where Diplodocus carnegiei was named and still "lives", named after the guy
who created and single-handedly funded the museum]