[Taxacom] Taxonomy of removing subspecies

[John Grehan]

Doug,

Yes that makes perfect sense and corresponds to what I was attempting to
articulate. Many thanks to you and others for helpful clarification.

John Grehan

On Fri, May 11, 2018 at 1:07 PM, Doug Yanega <dyanega at ucr.edu> wrote:

> 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
>
>
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