Keys and New Species
Robin Leech
robinl at CONNECT.AB.CA
Mon Mar 15 09:31:08 CST 1999
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Botanical taxonomy seems to have a whole host of problems I rarely see =
in zoological taxonomy. We
in zoology do have situations where collectors, and owners of =
collections, of say bird-wing butterflies,
who have A specimen (yes, one specimen) of a butterfly collected on the =
north slopes (all others having=20
been collected on west slopes) of a particular mountain, want to =
describe it as a new subspecies. =20
This is frivolous, and is market driven, not science driven. If the =
owner of the bird-wing specimen=20
is successful in publishing, the cash value of his/her collection goes =
from a few bucks to many thousands.
There does seem to be a lot of excitement from the botanicals that I =
never see from the zoologicals. Has
reason left, and emotion taken over?
Some years ago, I asked about describing a new species of crab spider of =
the genus Ebo I found in
southern Albera on prickly pear cactus, Opuntia polyacantha. I was told =
by several editors here in=20
Canada that I would have to provide a key, either by taking the existing =
key to the species, or by taking
a section of the key. By taking a section of an established (published) =
key, I am showing the relationship
of the new species I have at hand with the known species, and, others =
will be better able, if they find more
specimens of my species, to identify it.
Another option I was offered was to consider revising the whole genus. =
What the editors did not want to see
is a new species here, another there, and a third somewhere else - all =
species being in the same genus, all
published by the same author. North American spiderology has had a =
history of this sort of thing.
I was told that putting these caveats on authors of new species removed =
much of the frivolous aspects of=20
describing new species. It also slowed the author who was attempting to =
put his/her name on many, many=20
papers in any one year. And, it pushed the author(s) toward better =
synthesis and analysis.
Exceptions were granted were granted in the kinds of circumstances where =
the name(s) of the species=20
was/were wanted (and not Xus, n.sp. #1, n.sp. #2, etc.) for a regional =
list. And, I know of an exception where
a man's PhD thesis was lifted from a library and was about to be =
published in another country. When this was=20
discovered, the then editor of The Canadian Entomologist permitted a =
rush (about a month or so) on the=20
publication in order to ensure that the thief would be unsuccessful.=20
We in zoology have lots species in groups (big, showy beetles, many =
butterflies, etc.) that speculators and such=20
would love to describe as new species in order to enhance their personal =
status and their collections. The odd=20
ones slips through, but most are caught before publication.
Robin Leech
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<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Botanical taxonomy seems to have a =
whole host of=20
problems I rarely see in zoological taxonomy. We</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT><FONT size=3D2>in zoology do =
have=20
situations where collectors, and owners of collections, of say bird-wing =
butterflies,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>who have A specimen (yes, one specimen) of a =
butterfly=20
collected on the north slopes (all others having </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>been </FONT><FONT size=3D2>collected on west slopes) =
of a=20
particular mountain, want to describe it as a new subspecies. =20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><STRONG>This is frivolous, and is market driven, not =
</FONT><FONT size=3D2>science driven. </STRONG>If the owner of the =
bird-wing=20
specimen </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>is successful </FONT><FONT size=3D2>in publishing, =
the cash=20
value of his/her collection goes from a few bucks to many=20
thousands.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>There does seem to be a lot of =
excitement from=20
the botanicals that I never see from the zoologicals. =
Has</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT><FONT size=3D2>reason left, =
and emotion=20
taken over?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Some years ago, I asked about =
describing a new=20
species of crab spider of the genus <EM>Ebo</EM> I found in</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>southern Albera on prickly pear =
cactus,=20
<EM>Opuntia polyacantha</EM>. I was told by several editors =
</FONT><FONT=20
color=3D#000000 size=3D2>here in </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Canada that I would have to provide =
a key,=20
either by taking the existing key to the species, or by =
taking</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>a section of the key. By =
taking a section=20
of an established (published) key, I am showing the =
relationship</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>of the new species I have at hand =
with the known=20
species, and, others will be better able, if they find more</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>specimens of my species, to identify =
it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Another option I was offered was to =
consider=20
revising the whole genus. What the editors did not want to=20
see</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>is a new species here, another =
there, and a=20
third somewhere else - all species being in the same genus, =
all</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>published by the same author. =
North=20
American spiderology has had a history of this sort of =
thing.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>I was told that putting these =
caveats on authors=20
of new species removed much of the frivolous aspects =
of </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>describing new species. It =
also slowed the=20
author who was attempting to put his/her name on many, many =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>papers </FONT><FONT color=3D#000000 =
size=3D2>in any=20
one year. </FONT><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>And, it pushed the =
author(s)=20
toward better synthesis and analysis.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Exceptions were granted were granted =
in the=20
kinds of circumstances where the name(s) of the species </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>was/were </FONT><FONT =
color=3D#000000=20
size=3D2>wanted </FONT><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>(and not =
<EM>Xus</EM>, n.sp. #1,=20
n.sp. #2, etc.) for a regional list. And, I know of an exception=20
where</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>a man's PhD thesis was lifted from a =
library and=20
was about to be published in another country. When this was =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>discovered, the then editor of =
The=20
Canadian Entomologist permitted a rush (about a month or so) on the=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>publication in order to ensure =
</FONT><FONT=20
color=3D#000000 size=3D2>that the thief would be =
unsuccessful. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>We in zoology have lots species in =
groups (big,=20
showy beetles, many butterflies, etc.) that speculators and such=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>would love to describe as new =
species in order=20
</FONT><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>to enhance their personal status =
and their=20
collections. The odd </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>ones slips through, but most are =
caught before=20
publication.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Robin =
Leech</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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