[Taxacom] Objective synonyms?

[Kim van der Linde]

On 5/31/2010 3:52 AM, Geoff Read wrote:
> The 'specific name' definition is not relevant. Francisco
> Welter-Shultes, who mentions this posting approvingly, makes the same
> mistake as Thomas does above.
>
> It's very straightforward. The ICZN definition of synonym is
> referring to a 'taxonomic taxon', which in this argument is at the
> species level.  The definition of scientific name of a species is,
> quote from ICZN, "two names (a binomen)", and similarly the
> definition of a species name is that it is the genus and specific
> name combination, two names.

I think this is the core of the confusion. The scientific name is a 
combination of the species-group name and the genus group name. So, at 
what level does one have to determine whether there is synonymy? Is that 
at the level of the species group name (uncia) or the scientific name 
(Uncia uncia).

Synonymy is at the same rank (see the glossary: Each of two or more 
names of the same rank used to denote the same taxonomic taxon.). So, 
which part of the scientific name do we use? The genus level rank 
component (the genus-group name) or the species level rank component 
(the species-group name)? Or is the combination of genus and species a 
different rank?

Kim
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