revisions in theses?

[Ron at]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Niklas Wahlberg" <Niklas.Wahlberg at ZOOLOGI.SU.SE>
Subject: revisions in theses?


> Dear all,
>       I recently found a PhD thesis that was composed of an excellent
> taxonomic and systematic revision of a butterfly tribe. Since the author
is
> proposing some new taxa, I was wondering whether a PhD thesis is
considered
> a valid form of publishing new names. This thesis (and many others I've
> discovered) is commercially available from
> http://wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations/gateway. What if the author then
> decides to publish some of the chapters in his thesis in a peer reviewed
> journal. Has the thesis been carved into stone as the original source
(and
> year) of the new names? Thanks for any info!
>
> Cheers,
> Niklas
>
> Niklas Wahlberg
> Department of Zoology
> Stockholm University
> S-106 91 Stockholm
> SWEDEN
>
> Phone: +46 8 164047
> Fax:   +46 8 167715
>
> http://www.zoologi.su.se/research/wahlberg/
>

The simple answer to your question from the information you presented is
no, these names do not meet the ICZN definition of published.   The
internet is specifically disqualified as a media of publication.  The names
proposed are thus unavailable.  If the author publishes this same
information and names in accord with the qualifications of publication then
these names would become available from that author and date.  (It is
customary and perhaps desirable but not necessary that the article be
reviewed.  Plenty of reviewed articles are not embrased in their
conclusions by various specialists and visa versa. )

Last year we at The Taxonomic Report (TTR) facilitated just such a case.  A
PhD thesis that described 9 new species of moths was unavailable from its
old Ohio State dissertation and micro-fish file.  A second party as junior
co-author with the original author re did this paper and published it in
TTR.  These 9 "new" species of Lacinipolia are now available names from the
date and authorship in TTR Vol. 2 # 8.

Ron Gatrelle
TILS president
Charleston, SC - USA
http://www.tils-ttr.org