[Taxacom] New Blog Post: Calling Time on Biological Nomenclature

[Richard Zander]

Registration of names seems a sensible thing to do. The Names in Current
Use project in botany was a good deal, and was shot down because it was
connected with a disgusting bullying episode. 

Regarding bar codes, one might remark that organisms may be thought of
as probes that measure the environment, the habitat, into which they
survive through selection (both neutral and selected traits must at
least be tolerated if not contributing to fitness). The names of
organisms may be thought of as observations or metrics on habitats. A
barcode, in addition to the usual problems cited for such, is an
additional step removed from the environmental, evolutionary dimension
required for a decent understanding of nature using names as helpful
descriptors. It again is a short cut, a kind of Automatic Classification
sensu Stuessy introduced by the pheneticists and continued by the
cladists.

*****************************
Richard H. Zander 
Voice: 314-577-0276
Missouri Botanical Garden
PO Box 299
St. Louis, MO 63166-0299 USA
richard.zander at mobot.org
Web sites: http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/resbot/
and http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/bfna/bfnamenu.htm
Non-post deliveries to:
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110
*****************************

-----Original Message-----
From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
[mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Roger Hyam
Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 9:18 AM
To: Taxacom
Subject: [Taxacom] New Blog Post: Calling Time on Biological
Nomenclature

http://www.hyam.net/blog/archives/509

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