[Taxacom] New lizard species

[Richard Pyle]

Testing out my repaired email connection -- so if this doesn't go, so much
the better.... 

> By my count, four active ICZN Commissioners, and one former ICZN
Commissioner 
> (including two former presidents of ICZN) have all weighed in on this
thread.  
> They have been unanimous in their assesment that the diagnosis, at least
as 
> presented to Taxacom, fails to comply with Article 13.1.1 of the ICZN Code
> 
> truth by consensus, eh?

Truth?  Goodness no! But a reasonably good indication of an appropriate
interpretation of the Code.

> the ICZN has no mandate whatsoever to place any restrictions on what 
> is or is not an allowable taxonomic character or taxonomic methodology, 
> it can only regulate NAMES for taxa, by prescribing FORMATS (not CONTENT) 
> that taxonomists must follow
>	 
> if you don't understand that, then you should not, IMHO, be a commissioner
...

Hmmmm....not sure where that one came from.  The Commissioners of which I
spoke were specifically talking about the availability of the name under
Art. 13.1.1.  The issue is not whether something is, or is not an allowable
taxonomic character.  The issue is about whether the character is an
attribute of organisms (Code Glossary), or an attribute of populations
(posted Diagnosis).

Aloha,
Rich