[Taxacom] Taxonomy of removing subspecies

[Doug Yanega]

On 5/11/18 9:45 AM, John Grehan wrote:
>   Francisco and Barry,
>
> Thanks for the feedback To be sure I understand correctly, the subspecies
> names are already junior synonyms so of one eliminates (or no longer
> recognizes) the subspecies entities, then they are not new synonyms because
> they are already junior synonyms. Sorry to belabor the point, just want to
> be sure I get that right!
>
The relevant Code Article is 61.3.1:

"61.3.1. If nominal taxa with different name-bearing types are referred 
to a single taxonomic taxon, their names are subjective synonyms at the 
rank of that taxon (but need not be synonyms at a subordinate rank).

Example. The different name-bearing types of Psittacus elegans Gmelin, 
1788 and Platycercus flaveolus Gould, 1837 are considered to belong to a 
single taxonomic species of rosella parrot of which Platycercus elegans 
(Gmelin, 1788) is the valid name. Although the names are subjective 
synonyms at the rank of species, they are not synonyms at the 
subordinate rank of subspecies of Platycercus elegans, for which the 
valid names are Pl. e. elegans (Gmelin, 1788) and Pl. e. flaveolus 
Gould, 1837."

As such, the names you refer to were already synonyms at the species 
rank (so their status as synonyms at the species rank is not new), but 
they also continue to be valid at the subspecies rank, for any 
taxonomist who accepts subspecies. Deciding not to accept subspecies is 
a *taxonomic* decision, not a nomenclatural act. The exception would be 
if the author formally synonymized some (but not all) of the existing 
subspecies with the nominate subspecies.

Hope that makes sense,

-- 
Doug Yanega      Dept. of Entomology       Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0314     skype: dyanega
phone: (951) 827-4315 (disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
              http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html
   "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
         is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82