[Taxacom] New lizard species

[Gary Rosenberg]

NaN.  <o:OfficeDocumentSettings>  <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings><![endif]--> <w:WordDocument>  <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>  <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>  <w:TrackFormatting/>  <w:PunctuationKerning/>  <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>  <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>  <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>  <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>  <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>  <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>  <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>  <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>  <w:Compatibility>   <w:BreakWrappedTables/>   <w:DontGrowAutofit/>   <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>   <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>  </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument><![endif]--> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles><![endif]--> /* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}<![endif]-->Wow, I take some time off to write a grant proposal and findthis debate still raging when I return.<span style=""> I thinkStephen is correct that Article 13.1.1 is ambiguous about the meaning of“attribute”, but I don’t agree that means we must take the broadest possibleinterpretation. The ICZN can act to clarify provisions of the Code (Article78.3.2.). In this case the clarification would address whether Article 13.1.1refers only to intrinsic attributes or also to extrinsic ones.
<o:p> </o:p>
Note that Article 12.3, pertaining to the availability ofnames of taxa described before 1931, says: Apparently these were not excluded fornames introduced after 1930, because they were thought to be automaticallyexcluded under Article 13.1.1, which requires description/definition in termsof characters.
<o:p> </o:p>
Is it limiting to taxonomic freedom to say vernacular names,localities, geological horizons, hosts  I would argue that if someone isdefining groups of organisms solely on extrinsic attributes, they aren’t doingtaxonomy, but something else. That something else might be a fine scientificpursuit, say, ecological niche modeling, but the rules of taxonomy do not needto accommodate it


Gary Rosenberg
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia