[Taxacom] LSID versus names

[Dr.B.J.Tindall]

Jim,
Well, if anything is going to be "authoritative" it would have to be  
the fact that certain nomenclatural and taxonomic events/acts have  
taken place. There is no better way of doing this than to make sure  
that these acts/events are properly documented. In bacteriology and  
virology this is via a centralised system. To my knowledge the  
virologists maintain an authoritative list of names on the ICTV  
website and there were suggestions that bacteriologists should do the  
same - the only issue being who pays the bills.

The only issue that is problematic is when there is an "authoritative"  
list (which in bacteriology would document new names and new  
combinations) and other lists surface which are misleading/erroneous  
and undermine the work of those who try to make sure that the  
"authoritative lists" are accurate.

Brian

Quoting Jim Croft <jim.croft at gmail.com>:

> This kind of thinking is a big problem and one of the reasons we get
> into messes like this. NONE of these databases is authoritative.  They
> are not mentioned in the Code, they have not legislated priority and
> have no official standing in nomenclature or taxonomy at all. They are
> at best useful and reliable indices to the literature (with the type
> and cited specimens, the real authority), at worst, incomplete
> perpetuators of falsehoods.
>
> There is no point looking for a single point of truth when there isn't
> one. Well ok, it might be core business for religion and politics. But
> it is not going to work for nomenclature and taxonomy, unless we
> change the Code radically and create one (ducks quickly, to avoid the
> ugly reg* word).
>
> jim
>
> On Wed, Jun 20, 2012 at 5:42 PM, Roderic Page <r.page at bio.gla.ac.uk> wrote:
>> Plant people are
>> somewhat better off with IPNI, although one could argue whether we should
>> regard IPNI, Tropics, or the Plant List as the definitive authority.
>
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Dr.B.J.Tindall
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