Selling species (from today's Science)

[DR. JAMES ADAMS]

Doug and listers,

> prosecution in the suit, and we may yet come out ahead - because then
> we can make money *sinking* every bogus name they create. ;-)

I live for this day!!  Maybe then these self-indulgent people who go
around splitting every stinking population from every other one and
giving it a separate name, without any evidence of *biological
(evolutionary) significance*, might think twice.  I loathe the sea of
names that have been created in some taxa just so some people
can see their names in print.  (Interesting that over on Leps-L, a
similar thread is going on right now as well).

> Then again, many of the most prurient names in existence are some of
> Linnaeus' own (I oughta know, I list several on my web page).

If you haven't seen this page, go check it out.

I doubt
> anyone nowadays would go around giving things names like _Labia minor_
> (I dare you to explain how that name is descriptive for an earwig) and
> _Penicillus penis_ without some *major* resistance from reviewers.
> Linnaeus is NOT the best example as to what is or is not an
> appropriate epithet. ;-)

Actually, I appreciate some sense of humor in the naming of
species, and am glad the ICZN has seen fit not to prevent such
mischief!  Nice also to know the father of binomial nomenclature
shared this humorous view.

        James

Dr. James K. Adams
Dept. of Natural Science and Math
Dalton State College
213 N. College Drive
Dalton, GA  30720
Phone: (706)272-4427; fax: (706)272-2533
U of Michigan's President James Angell's
  Secret of Success: "Grow antennae, not horns"