Naming a species after yourself (zoology)

Mon Mar 6 13:22:39 CST 2006

I don't see the relevance of having someone listed as an author on a paper
if that person made no contribution to the research or writing of the
paper...I also wouldn't use the example of Science or Nature allowing 20+
author names on a paper as criteria or standard to which we edit/review
papers....it seems to me naming the new species after the third author
would be sufficient gratitude without having to place him/her as author on
the paper. The major issue here is allowing a person to be listed as an
author when that person made no contribution to the paper being published.

Gene

>Hmmm....does anyone happen know the average number of authors on articles in
>Nature and Science?  One wonders whether every one of a 20+ authored paper
>contributed more substantially to the research contained therein than, say,
>a collector who provided type material for one or more new species.
>
>I know nothing about the particular situation that Robin describes, but it
>is not unheard of in the fish world to include as a junior author a person
>who collected significant numbers of type specimens of new species (and/or
>provided detailed information about ecological characteristics and other
>field-based observations), but otherwise did not contribute much else to the
>publication.
>
>So....imagine a situation where a parataxonomist or other naturalist
>collected specimens of 5 new species, and presented those specimens to the
>taxonomic authority for the group.  It seems perfectly reasonable to include
>the collector as either a junior author (recognizing that a big part of
>alpha taxonomy is simply recognizing that something in the field is
>different from anything that is already known), or as the honoree of a
>patronym.  I don't see any real ethical violation in doing both in the same
>paper -- especially if the specific authorship of the patronym does not
>include the honoree.
>
>My opinion is that we have bigger issues in the field of taxonomy to concern
>ourselevs with, and as long as the science is good, it should be up to the
>authors themselves who the authors are, and what text strings will be
>assigned as labels to new taxa (within the bounds of the relevant Code, of
>course). Withholding publication for this reason alone seems unjustified to
>me.
>
>Aloha,
>Rich
>
>Richard L. Pyle, PhD
>Ichthyology, Bishop Museum
>1525 Bernice St., Honolulu, HI 96817
>Ph: (808)848-4115, Fax: (808)847-8252
>email: deepreef at bishopmuseum.org
>http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/staff/pylerichard.html
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Taxacom Discussion List [mailto:TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU]On
> > Behalf Of Brian Brown
> > Sent: Monday, March 06, 2006 9:06 AM
> > To: TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU
> > Subject: Re: Naming a species after yourself (zoology)
> >
> >
> > Yes, I agree with Steve, Gene, & GB that this person shouldn't be an
> > author on the paper if he didn't contribute to it. He should be
> > sufficiently "honored" by the species designation.
> >
> > Brian
> > ___________________________
> > Brian V. Brown
> > Curator, Entomology Section
> > Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
> > 900 Exposition Boulevard
> > Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
> > Telephone 213 763-3363
> > FAX 213 746-2999
> > bbrown at nhm.org
> > www.phorid.net
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Taxacom Discussion List [mailto:TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU] On
> > Behalf Of Gene Hall
> > Sent: Monday, March 06, 2006 10:53 AM
> > To: TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU
> > Subject: Re: Naming a species after yourself (zoology)
> >
> > I agree with Steve...why is the third author included in the paper if he
> > had nothing to do with the paper??
> >
> > Gene
> >
> >
> > >In this case, reject the paper.  Authorship of species should not
> > include
> > >those who did not contribute to their description, just as authorship
> > of
> > >papers should not include those who did not contribute to writing it.
> > >--Steve
> > >
> > >______________________
> > >Steven W. Lingafelter, Ph. D.
> > >Systematic Entomology Lab, USDA
> > >MRC-I68
> > >National Museum of Natural History
> > >Smithsonian Institute PO Box 37012
> > >Washington, DC 20013-7012
> > >
> > >Phone: 202-382-1793
> > >Email: slingafe at sel.barc.usda.gov
> > >
> > >
> > > >>> Robin Leech <releech at TELUSPLANET.NET> - 3/6/06 1:37 PM >>>
> > >Hi Brian,
> > >In this case, the third author is merely being honored.  He had
> > >nothing at all to do with any aspect of the paper or the
> > >research that went into it.
> > >Robin
> > >
> > >----- Original Message -----
> > >From: "Brian Brown" <BBrown at NHM.ORG>
> > >To: <TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU>
> > >Sent: Monday, March 06, 2006 11:13 AM
> > >Subject: Re: Naming a species after yourself (zoology)
> > >
> > >
> > > >It should be a matter of course that such a naming shouldn't be done
> > by
> > >the >authors.
> > >
> > >I have a different view. In the situation that Robin describes, where
> > >the third author possibly worked on the biology or some other aspect,
> > >there seems to be nothing wrong to me with naming the species for
> > >him/her. We are going to be faced with naming hundreds of thousands to
> > >millions of currently unknown organisms, and believe me, coming up with
> > >new names in species-rich groups can be a time-consuming (and to some
> > >extent a time-wasting) task. As long as this name is unique within the
> > >genus, I wouldn't have any problem with Robin's situation if I was a
> > >reviewer. Lets not make this a cast in stone law.
> > >
> > >As far as "Cartwrightia cartwrighti Cartwright" is concerned, in
> > today's
> > >social climate most would see this as unacceptable, but as Doug said
> > >there is nothing prohibiting it (other than the author's contemplation
> > >of what his colleagues would think of such egomania).
> > >
> > >
> > >Brian
> > >___________________________
> > >Brian V. Brown
> > >Curator, Entomology Section
> > >Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
> > >900 Exposition Boulevard
> > >Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
> > >Telephone 213 763-3363
> > >FAX 213 746-2999
> > >bbrown at nhm.org
> > >www.phorid.net
> >
> > ************************************************************************
> > ********************************
> > Gene Hall
> > Invertebrate Zoology Collections Manager
> > CU Museum of Natural History
> > UCB 265
> > University of Colorado
> > Boulder, CO 80309-0265
> > Phone: 303.735.5262
> > CU Museum: http://cumuseum.colorado.edu/Research/Zoology/
> > Research/CV:
> > http://cumuseum.colorado.edu/Research/Zoology/zoology_research.html
> > Ptiliidae:
> > http://tolweb.org/tree?group=Ptiliidae&contgroup=Staphylinoidea
> > Coleopterists Society: http://www.coleopsoc.org/

********************************************************************************************************
Gene Hall
Invertebrate Zoology Collections Manager
CU Museum of Natural History
UCB 265
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO 80309-0265
Phone: 303.735.5262
CU Museum: http://cumuseum.colorado.edu/Research/Zoology/
Research/CV:
http://cumuseum.colorado.edu/Research/Zoology/zoology_research.html
Ptiliidae: http://tolweb.org/tree?group=Ptiliidae&contgroup=Staphylinoidea
Coleopterists Society: http://www.coleopsoc.org/