[Taxacom] Article 16.2 of the ICZN

[Bob Mesibov]

The Code is voluntary, and some taxonomists interpret that as 'relaxed'. There are so many instances of non-compliance that there is very little point in pursuing specific instances.

In 2007 I pointed out that a paper published in a well-known systematics journal contained invalid lectotype designations (see ICZN article 74.7). One of the authors, a taxonomist, wrote to me as follows:

'Yes, you are correct, we did not follow 74.7.3 (nor did the journal care). I expect more work will be done on the group and such technicalities can be dealt with.'

If you wanted to be unkind about the situation, you could say that there are two sorts of taxonomists: those who do things properly, and those who don't and expect the other sort to fix up the resulting mess. Such is life.
-- 
Dr Robert Mesibov
Honorary Research Associate
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, and
School of Zoology, University of Tasmania
Home contact: PO Box 101, Penguin, Tasmania, Australia 7316
(03) 64371195; 61 3 64371195
Webpage: http://www.qvmag.tas.gov.au/mesibov.html