Indecent proposal (was commercial taxonomy)

[Andreas Gminder]

Kipling WIll wrote:
>
> I have been reading with interests the thread on the "selling of
> names" and I agree with some others that it leaves one with a queasy
> feeling that business and science are mixing in perhaps a less than
> desirable way. Nevertheless, I have not been able to enumerate a list
> of solid reasons why not sell (aside from the slippery individual
> moral, ethical and self esteem issues that are of little weight in
> deciding policy) and I have not seen anyone present such as list
> either. Perhaps someone can offer some concrete points that may
> balance several apparently valid points for selling.


I'm strongly fearing that the number of new species will increase in an
even faster way then today. I fear that some scientists _perhaps_ will
not spend enough time anymore to compare their possible new species with
others but make them a "nova species". The number of synonyms will
increase, but it will take much time and effort to asure this.
It needs only one fruitbody to create a new species, but you need ten
collections to proof its being synonym! And who will do this work, which
doesn't brings extra money?

To simplify: There certainly is the great risk, that new species are
being created only for the purpose of earning money, without careful
scientific work!

Andreas Gminder - Stuttgart - Germany