[Taxacom] Type of Homo sapiens (was: Are species real? Doesn't matter.)

[Michael Schmitt]

Dear colleagues,

since "Homo sapiens" has been used as an example several times, and 
since from time to time the idea is brought up that this or that 
specimen could or should be the name-bearing type of our species, I 
wonder if one (or some) of you could comment on my view on that point:

(1) Neither has a holotype been fixed for Homo sapiens, nor does a 
syntype series exist. Thus, a name-bearing type could only be reached 
through neotype designation.

(2) ICZN art. 75.2 states that "a neotype is not to be designated as 
an end in itslef ...", and in art. 75.3 we read that "a neotype is 
validly designated when there is an exceptional need and only when 
that need is stated expressly ...".

(3) I am not aware that the above requirements have been met by any 
of the existing suggestions for a name-bearing type of Homo sapiens. 
Consequently, no "type designation" for H.s. is valid up to now, and 
all the discussions which specimen it might be are in vain.

(4) I suspect that it is difficult to claim the necessity of a 
neotype designation for H.s., at least as long as only extant 
specimens (or individuals) are treated. Things might be different for 
paleoanthropology, but even here must be demonstrated that there are 
problems which cannot be solved without a name-bearing type for H.s.

That much for now.

                                         Best regards
                                            Michael

At 23:22 31.05.2007, Neal Evenhuis wrote:
>At 4:01 PM -0500 5/31/07, Steve Manning wrote:
> >
> >
> >Continuing to use Homo sapiens as an example, what evidence should be
> >used to test the hypothesis that this species is "real" and what
> >would constitute evidence sufficient to decide that this hypothesis
> >must be rejected? (i.e., was mistaken?).  And, if this is a problem
> >to determine for Homo sapiens, is it not likely to be a greater
> >problem with less familiar species?
>
>However, before we do any "testing", we need to know what Homo
>sapiens is (i.e., what is the type specimen?) and thus have the
>proper exemplar used. The following was posted to the iczn-list a few
>years ago that helps confound the problem for what the type of Homo
>sapiens really is:
>
>***********
>There is an interesting twist to the Linnaean "subspecies" of Homo
>sapiens. Linnaeus (1758, p. 20-22) listed five varieties/subspecies
>under Homo sapiens. However, before these varieties he described wild
>or savage "ferus" Homo sapiens as "tetrapus, mutus, hirsutus", with
>several illustrations or examples cited. After each example, added in
>brackets is information from Seguin (1907, Idiocy: and its Treatment
>by the Physiological Method) taken from
>http://www.disabilitymuseum.org/lib/docs/1531.htm?page=3
>
>Juvenis Lupinus Hessensis. 1344. [1544, A young man found in Hesse
>among wolves.]
>Juvenis Ursinus Lithuanus. 1661. [A young man found among bears in Lithuania.]
>Juvenis Ovinus Hibernus. Tulp. Obs. IV. [A young man found among wild
>sheep in Ireland.]
>Juvenis Hannoverianus. [1724, A young man found in Hanover.]
>Pueri 2 Pyrenaici. 1719. [Two boys found in the Pyrenees.]
>Johannes Leodisensis. [Boerhaave. John of Liege.]
>
>Article 72.4.1 of the ICZN Code excludes from the type series of a
>nominal species-group taxon specimens referred to as distinct
>variants. This means that specimens of Homo sapiens americanus,
>europaeus, asiaticus, afer, and monstrosus are not part of the type
>series of Homo sapiens and that Linnaeus is not eligible to be the
>lectotype (as designated by W. T. Stearn. 1959. Systematic Zoology
>8:4). We are thus left to select from among village idiots the
>lectotype for humankind.
>************
>
>Ain't nomenclature fun? Homer Simpson may be the archetype human ....
>
>Neal
>
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>Taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
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* Prof.Dr. Michael Schmitt (Zoologischer Anzeiger, Editor-in-          *
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