[Taxacom] Family Chilodontidae - unresolved homonyminCharaciformes and Gastropoda?

[Doug Yanega]

Gary Rosenberg wrote:

>Chilodontidae is a justified emendation, so it dates from the 
>original publication as Chilodidae in 1912 (ICZN Code Article 19.2). 
>Chilodidae should not be used for the fish family, because it is not 
>in prevailing usage (Article 29.5). Chilodontidae should be used for 
>both families; resolution of the homonymy in this set of 
>circumstances requires an ICZN ruling (Article 55.3).

I agree with Gary's interpretation of this case, exactly as stated 
above. While the Code does not operate on precedent, a recent case 
involving two family names "Dasypodidae" ended up being resolved by 
taking the junior name and declaring the entire genus name to be the 
"stem", so the genus Dasypoda is now the type genus of the family 
Dasypodaidae (the other genus was Dasypus). A similar approach in 
this case would lead the mollusc family to become Chilodontaidae. 
That might be the least disruptive approach.

It will require some interested parties to take time to carefully 
document the history of the usage of both names, and prepare a formal 
submission to the ICZN, but it's necessary. Gary's already done a 
fair bit of the crucial stuff above. ;-)

Sincerely,
-- 

Doug Yanega        Dept. of Entomology         Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0314        skype: dyanega
phone: (951) 827-4315 (standard disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
              http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html
   "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
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