[Taxacom] Type localities (was: Bionomina 13 published)

Wed Dec 26 20:36:41 CST 2018

Hi Stephen,
       I agree that some of this jargon is getting out of hand (and not particularly useful).  Anyway, to answer your question, I wouldn't think type localities would be of much importance at all for a common, widespread uniform species.  The type locality of the monarch butterfly was just "America septentrionali".  The type locality of the neotype is Kendall, New York, but who really cares (except perhaps a reviser looking at all the synonyms)?
       Type localities are bit more important for variable species (with lots of named subspecies).  And even more so for very uncommon or rare species with restricted ranges.  Not only for the conservation of endangered species, but for the rediscovery of species so rare that they have been considered extinct.  However, in certain cases, publishing an exact type locality might be counter-productive, especially if specimens could be monetized (such as some rare vertebrates or dinosaur bones).  In those cases, an exact type locality should probably be on a "need to know" basis for qualified collectors or conservationist scientists.  In any case, I doubt that jargon like onymotopes, much less lectonymotopes, is very useful (and more likely to just cause confusion or consternation).
                  --------------------Ken
P.S.  A type locality was perhaps (?) of some help in the rediscovery of Cicindela floridana:  https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1692&context=insectamundi

________________________________
From: Taxacom <taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu> on behalf of Stephen Thorpe <stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz>
Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2018 3:34 PM
To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu; Alain Dubois
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Bionomina 13 published

"Onymotopes in zoological nomenclature: some additional terms, with fixation of a lectonymotope for Xenopus petersii Bocage, 1895 (Amphibia, Anura)"

The jargon is getting out of hand! The utility of type localities ("Onymotopes") only goes so far (and not very far)! A type locality is just a place where you can go to find typical specimens of a taxon (if they haven't subsequently gone extinct there!) It may help to establish the identity of a poorly described species, but it may not if there are sympatric congeners at the locality, all of which more or less agree with the description. The possibility of mislabelling means that stated type localities may be incorrect, and there may not be any way to discover the mislabelling.

Granted that I haven't read the paper (it is paywalled, and I don't have access right now), but can someone please explain why type localities are important?

Stephen

--------------------------------------------
On Thu, 27/12/18, Alain Dubois <adbionomina at gmail.com> wrote:

 Subject: [Taxacom] Bionomina 13 published
 To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
 Received: Thursday, 27 December, 2018, 7:51 AM

 taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu

 Dear Colleagues,

 This is to inform you of the
 publication of volume 13 of Bionomina by
 Magnolia Press. Here is the table of
 contents of this issue:

 1–27
 Familial nomina in harvestmen
 (Arachnida, Opiliones)
 Adriano B. KURY

 28–36
 Reflections on the growing use of
 sounds in systematics and synecology:
 why an acoustic signal cannot become an
 onomatophore
 Laure DESUTTER-GRANDCOLAS, Sylvain
 HUGEL, Sandra GOUTTE & Tony
 ROBILLARD

 37–50
 Onymotopes in zoological nomenclature:
 some additional terms, with fixation
 of a lectonymotope for Xenopus petersii
 Bocage, 1895 (Amphibia,
 Anura)
 Thierry FRÉTEY, Maël DEWYNTER &
 Annemarie OHLER

 51–64
 The Relictus case: it is high time that
 taxonomists follow the Code’s
 requirements for nomenclatural
 availability and validity of new zoological
 nomina
 Alain DUBOIS, Thierry FRÉTEY &
 Annemarie OHLER

 65–68
 If you choose not to decide you still
 have made a choice
 Pedro H. PINNA, Daniel S. FERNANDES
 & Paulo PASSOS

 69–73
 Natural history collecting and the
 arrogance of the modern Ark researcher
 Spartaco GIPPOLITI

 Best wishes and Season's Greetings,

 Alain
 ____________________________________

 Professeur Émérite Alain Dubois
 Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle
 Institut Systématique, Evolution,
 Biodiversité (ISYEB) - UMR 7205
 Reptiles & Amphibiens
 CP 30
 25 rue Cuvier
 75005 Paris
 France

 Adresses e-mail: <sapo421 at gmail.com>,
 <adbionomina at gmail.com>,
 <
 adpeerj at gmail.com>,
 <adubois at mnhn.fr>

 Blogs personnels:
 Sur Overblog: <lherbu.com>
 Sur Mediapart: <https://blogs.mediapart.fr/alaindubois-0/blog>

 President, Linz Zoocode Committee
 <zoologos22 at gmail.com>

 Chief Editor, Bionomina
 <http://www.mapress.com/bionomina>

 Nomenclature Editor, Zootaxa
 <http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/>

 Academic Editor, PeerJ
 <https://peerj.com>

 Website of the journal Alytes
 <https://www.alytes-journal.org>

 Website of the journal Dumerilia
 <http://dumerilia.wifeo.com>
 ____________________________________

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