[Taxacom] unflagged classification change question
Stephen Thorpe
stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz
Tue Jun 12 17:00:13 CDT 2018
Having now some experience with the botanical code, I much prefer it to the zoological code. The latter tries to separate nomenclature from taxonomy in a way that cannot consistently be done! For example, the spelling of a specific epithet depends on the gender of the genus name, it both codes, but I don't see how that can be consistent with combinations being merely a matter of taxonomy! In practice though, it kind of works out, because you can just ignore names which occur outside of publication (as defined by the Code) and if an author does cite such names, then they can be treated as "new" in the citing publication. It does however cause a lot of unnecessary confusion, particularly with many journals now relegating various things to supplementary material, often in the form of Microsoft Word files, and they sometimes put new combinations there, see, for example: Alencar, I.D.C.C.; Waichert, C.; Azevedo, C.O. 2018: Opening Pandora's box of Pristocerinae: molecular and morphological phylogenies of Apenesia (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) reveal several hidden genera. Systematic entomology, 43(3): 481-509. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12295
Less often, they also put things like lectotype designations in such supplementary Word files, which is more of a problem!
Stephen
--------------------------------------------
On Wed, 13/6/18, Paul van Rijckevorsel <dipteryx at freeler.nl> wrote:
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] unflagged classification change question
To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Received: Wednesday, 13 June, 2018, 5:34 AM
Zoologists tend to be divided as
to what a "name" is.
The
zoological Code is not quite internally consistent.
But Article 5.1 clearly states
that "The scientific name
of a species
[...] is a combination of [a] generic name
and [a] specific name." Thus, the whole
binomen is
a matter of nomenclature.
Also, Recommendation 51G
provides for citing the
author responsible
for the recombination.
Paul
-----
Original Message -----
From:
"Francisco Welter-Schultes" <fwelter at gwdg.de>
To: "Paul Kirk" <P.Kirk at kew.org>;
"Stephen Thorpe"
<stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz>;
<taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2018 5:46 PM
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] unflagged classification
change question
> This is the difference between taxonomy
and nomenclature. Placing a
> specific
name in whichever genus is taxonomy and has no nomenclatural
> relevance in zoology. In botany this
is different, as Stephen said. Most
>
people don't know that, but this does not change it.
>
> Cheers
> Francisco
>
> Am 12.06.2018 um 15:30 schrieb Paul
Kirk:
>> Francisco, are you saying
that a change in name is not 'nomenclaturally
>> relevant information'? If so, I
would respectfully suggest that most
>> individuals of the species Homo
sapiens would disagree with this.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Paul
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Taxacom <taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
On Behalf Of Francisco
>>
Welter-Schultes
>> Sent: 12 June 2018
14:26
>> To: Stephen Thorpe <stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz>;
>> taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
>> Subject: Re: [Taxacom] unflagged
classification change question
>>
>> It depends. If Smith published a well
elaborated taxonomic work with high
>> impact then Option C
"ignoring" is a bad option.
>> As Mike said, authors of papers
dealing with ecology, conservation or
>> economy are often not up to date with
current trends in taxonomy. Helix
>>
aspersa is mostly classified in the genus Helix, in hundreds
of
>> publications each year, though
most taxonomists have since long preferred
>> to place it in the genus Cornu. If I
place aspersa in the genus Cornu in
>> a taxonomic work I do not need to
justify that, and I can ignore that 100
>> molecular genetical publications of
high impact journals in the last two
>> weeks have called this species Helix
aspersa. If I select Helix as its
>>
current genus in a taxonomic work I should explain and
justify my choice.
>>
>> Zoology is not botany. The criteria of
publication apply only to
>>
nomenclaturally relevant information. Anything that contains
only
>> taxonomically relevant
information does not need to be published in the
>> sense of the ICZN Code. The
unpublished works (internet pages, web
>> interfaces of online databases etc.)
however must also follow the rules
>>
of forming and citing the zoological names.
>>
>> Cheers
>> Francisco
>>
>> Am 12.06.2018 um 02:34 schrieb Stephen
Thorpe:
>>> Francisco said: Option
C is also an option
>>>
>>> "An option", certainly,
but a bad one! By ignoring and not citing Smith,
>>> it looks like you have overlooked
Smith's publication! Some people will
>>> think (erroneously, but
nevertheless) that you have overlooked the
>>> "fact" that the
"species" has been reinstated from synonymy! As a
>>> general rule, always cite
anything that you disagree with!
>>>
>>> The
issue in zoology with combinations and synonyms is messy,
compared
>>> with botany. I now
much prefer the approach in botany. In botany,
>>> combinations and synonymies are
formal nomenclatural acts which must be
>>> published according to the
botanical code. It still doesn't mean that
>>> such acts have to be followed, but
it makes it a lot easier to keep
>>> track of the different published
options.
>>>
>>> Stephen
>>>
>>>
--------------------------------------------
>>> On Tue, 12/6/18, Francisco
Welter-Schultes <fwelter at gwdg.de>
wrote:
>>>
>>> Subject: Re: [Taxacom]
unflagged classification change question
>>> To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
>>> Received: Tuesday, 12 June,
2018, 12:26 PM
>>> Option C is
also an option. Your
>>>
reaction should depend on the
>>>
particular
>>> significance
and impact of Smith's publication.
>>> I find myself in agreement
with Mike and
>>> Stephen.
>>> Being classified
>>> as a junior synonym of
another name is not an official
>>> status that a name has. Every
classification is
>>> always a
subjective
>>> judgement.
Terms like
>>> "new
synonym" or "new combination" may
>>> erroneously
>>> suggest that we are
dealing
>>> with an official
act. To avoid such
>>>
misunderstandings I usually do not recommend
>>> employing such terms at
>>> all. They are not
>>> necessary and have the effect
of blurring the
>>> difference
between nomenclature and
>>>
taxonomy.
>>> If I place Canis
lupus in the
>>> genus Homo
this will produce a name Homo
>>>
lupus. I do not know if somebody did that
>>> before, published,
unpublished
>>> in a museum
>>> catalog, or in the internet.
Taxonomic treatments do not
>>>
need to be published. So actually I would not
>>> be able to say for sure
>>> that my idea was
>>> new.
>>> Francisco
>>> -----
>>> Francisco Welter-Schultes
>>> Am 11.06.2018 um 23:06
schrieb Stephen
>>> Thorpe:
>>> > Hi Derek,
>>> >
>>> I'm deliberately
answering your question before reading
>>> the replies by others, so as
to give you an independent
>>>
response.
>>> > The obvious
answer to your
>>> question is
simply to explain the situation in the
>>> publication as you explained
it in the Taxacom post and just
>>> say that you consider the
synonymy to be correct, so, in the
>>> absence of any explanation by
Smith for treating it again as
>>> a valid species, you are
continuing to treat it as a
>>>
synonym. Note that synonymy isn't a formal
nomenclatural
>>> act in
zoology, so there is no sense in which Smith
>>> "has made it a valid
species again". It is simply
>>> a valid species in his
opinion, and although everyone is
>>> entitled to their opinion,
nobody is obliged to follow.
>>>
> I hope this helps (and I apologise in
>>> advance for any repetition of
what others may have
>>>
replied),
>>> > Cheers,
>>> >
>>> Stephen
>>> >
>>> >
>>>
--------------------------------------------
>>> > On Tue, 12/6/18, Derek
Sikes <dssikes at alaska.edu>
>>> wrote:
>>> >
>>> >
>>> Subject: [Taxacom] unflagged
classification change
>>>
question
>>> > To:
"taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu"
>>> <Taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
>>> > Received: Tuesday, 12
June, 2018, 6:52
>>> AM
>>> >
>>> > All,
>>> >
>>> > For those of
>>> you who keep track of one
>>> > or more
>>> taxonomic classifications
on
>>> > which
>>> you are an authority...
>>> >
>>> > I'd like to know
how you'd
>>> react to
the
>>> > following
(all
>>> too-realistic)
>>> > hypothetical
>>> scenario:
>>> >
>>> >
>>> *You find a publication by
Smith in
>>> >
>>> which a species name that you
feel had
>>> > been
justifiably made a junior
>>>
synonym
>>> > some years
earlier, was
>>> treated as
a
>>> > valid species
with no
>>> explanation for
>>> > the change. *
>>> >
>>> > In the next
>>> publication you produce on
>>> > the group
>>> do you:
>>> >
>>> > A)
>>> list it as a valid species
citing
>>> >
>>> Smith's publication
>>> >
>>> > B) re-synonymize it,
cite Smith, and
>>> >
explain that there was no evidence
>>> > offered by Smith for
the change
>>> >
>>> > C) ignore
>>> (don't cite) Smith and
list
>>> > it
>>> as a junior synonym
>>> >
>>> > D) something else?
(& for this
>>> >
hypothetical, imagine Smith recently
>>> died)
>>> >
>>> >
>>> Thanks,
>>> > Derek
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> >
>>> >
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>> > Derek S. Sikes,
Curator of Insects
>>> >
Associate Professor of Entomology
>>> > University of Alaska
Museum
>>> > 1962 Yukon
Drive
>>> >
>>> Fairbanks, AK 99775-6960
>>> >
>>> > dssikes at alaska.edu
>>> >
>>> > phone:
>>> 907-474-6278
>>> > FAX: 907-474-5469
>>> >
>>> > University of
>>> Alaska Museum
>>> > - search 400,276
>>> digitized arthropod
records
>>> >
>>> https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Farctos.database.museum%2Fuam_ento_all&data=02%7C01%7Cp.kirk%40kew.org%7C8ad3fc36dcc744bae93508d5d0680b93%7C44892b45194046119753a4b3be4ea7fe%7C0%7C0%7C636644067659201568&sdata=C0G92EPsLUzsdr7iMAPA6QaJvyWQZ4XKkiCgJQcH2mY%3D&reserved=0
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>>> >
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>> >
>>> > Interested in
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sign
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