[Taxacom] validation of taxon names

[Frank.Krell at dmns.org]

"Frank, as Richard points out, what you call "common language" is not common at all in botany. The dependent parts of taxon names, meaning strings which are meaningless in themselves unless paired with the name of the parent taxon, are epithets."

Yes, that's about what I said. Kim wanted to call the specific epithet (botany) or the specific name (zoology) "species name". This is what I opposed. The species name is a binomen in both the codes AND in common language.

The only difference here between botanists and zoologists is that the former call the second part of a binomen specific epithet, the zoologists call it specific name.

I don't see a big problem in that difference. Also, people should be able to distinguish between the words speCIES name and speCIFIC name in zoology. I am pretty convinced that, if they care, they are able to do so.

Frank


Dr Frank T. Krell 
Curator of Entomology 
Commissioner, International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
Chair, ICZN ZooBank Committee
Department of Zoology 
Denver Museum of Nature & Science 
2001 Colorado Boulevard 
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Frank.Krell at dmns.org 
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http://www.dmns.org/science/museum-scientists/frank-krell
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