[Taxacom] [iczn-list] GENERAL CALL TO BATTLE

Wed Feb 10 14:22:14 CST 2021

For many years during the mid to latter 20th century, a famous acarologist
dealt with the taxonomic impediment existing for parasitic mites by
describing hundreds of species using the diagnostic formula:  Aus bus, n.
sp. so long, so wide, from host species X, from country Y. holotype in
museum Z, published in a house journal. Fortunately, he lived long enough
to provide more detailed descriptions in monographs, but everyone has
considered those "diagnoses" as making the names available. I think his
efforts were to be sure he got credit for the names. In the present
situation, I see the same sort of effort, but in this case, the impetus
seems to be to actually address the taxonomic impediment.
Stay well! - Barry

On Wed, Feb 10, 2021 at 3:01 PM Scott Thomson <scott.thomson321 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> When Garnett and Christidis published their paper several years ago on
> taxonomic Governance there was a huge "up in arms" response by many people.
> A number of authors published quite scathing responses to their paper.
> Although they raised some valid points their tone and method achieved very
> little. Here on this list and the ICZN list we developed a different
> approach. 184 of us got together, including Thomas in this thread but many
> others too, and wrote a significant response, detailed, addressing the
> issues, correcting misconceptions etc. But what was also important was the
> tone of it. I am very grateful to Richard Pyle who helped me lead that
> paper.
>
> In that paper we were conciliatory, we recognised their points, we valued
> their views and suggested alternatives, compromises, explanations of why
> they could or could not do aspects of what they had proposed. We kept it
> polite, I said to the co-authors at the time it's important to debate
> politely, present a viable alternative etc.
>
> So what did that get us? It got cooperation, it got conciliation. It took
> the governance onus off taxonomy as we all wanted and placed it in a more
> appropriate place. The world is so fast now that somewhere there needed to
> be some control over the lists of species being used in what we all know is
> an environmental catastrophe. I do not think I actually remember the last
> time I saw an insect hit my windscreen. We developed the IUBS Working Group
> for Global Species Lists, Richard and I are both members as are Garnett and
> Christidis, we are now all working together. Because we did not attack.
>
> Clearly in the oher discussion I had some issues with the paper under
> discussion. But I am not going to attack them. Anymore than I attack
> PhyloCode. I acknowledged at the end of that discussion that it was
> probably a useful technique particularly for mega diverse groups. To have a
> constructive conversation and move forwards to a viable solution means
> healthy and polite debate, compromise, and the building of good workable
> ideas in good faith.
>
> I suggest against any attempt to destroy opposing views you need to
> cooperate and amalgamate them into a single view. That can only be done
> with careful consideration and cooperation.
>
> Cheers Scott
>
> On Wed, Feb 10, 2021 at 4:18 PM Admin Admin <archilegt at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Dear Thomas,
>> I warned you a long time ago of what could happen, in person, and we
>> discussed your views, in person. I know that your concern is " We are right
>> now facing an alarming rate of destruction of our ecosystems". On the
>> previous ICZN thread that brought the issue up, I also discussed and
>> replied to the points that you raised right now, before you raised them.
>> Maybe you missed that. I will repeat myself now:
>>
>> 1) I do not see that the ZooCode claims exclusivity over binomial names
>> of animals. If molecular authors want to have binomial, pronounceable
>> names, they can have them, just not under the ZooCode and not for the
>> purposes of Zoological Nomenclature.
>> 2) I do not see that there is any legal requirement telling that binomial
>> names under the Code are the only ones to be applied as unique identifiers
>> to operational taxonomic units worth of legal recognition and protection.
>> 3) I do not see that studying ecological interactions among OTUs can only
>> be done by using binomial names under the Code.
>> 4) I do not see a problem with molecular authors anchoring species-rank
>> taxonomic concepts, with specific epithets that are not Code-compliant, to
>> genus-rank concepts which have a Code-compliant name.
>>
>> In summary, and I am not screaming, WE CAN APPLY BINOMIAL NAMES TO
>> SPECIES FOR "STOPPING THE ALARMING RATE OF DESTRUCTION OF OUR ECOSYSTEMS",
>> JUST NOT UNDER THE CODE.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Carlos
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 10, 2021 at 9:01 PM Thomas Pape <tpape at snm.ku.dk> wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Carlos,
>>>
>>> I appreciate your enthusiasm and energy, but I find your wording
>>> excessively and unnecessarily divisive.
>>>
>>> We are right now facing an alarming rate of destruction of our
>>> ecosystems, with dire consequences in terms of massive losses of species.
>>> We should welcome any honest and serious attempt at embracing new
>>> technologies to document what may soon be irrecoverably lost.
>>>
>>> We probably all agree that species may somehow be delimited or
>>> recognized based on molecular data, and I am convinced that we all would be
>>> happy to see massive amounts of sequence data obtained from carefully
>>> prepared and meticulously documented voucher specimens.
>>>
>>> We need an open discussion on how to align the way we name species with
>>> the strengths and shortcomings of molecular sequence data.
>>> We need to be explicit and specific in which requirements we want for
>>> scientific names to be validly proposed. Can molecular sequence data in
>>> some form, but by themselves, be seen as "a description or definition that
>>> states in words characters that are purported to differentiate" an animal
>>> taxon? If not, what would be the minimal amount of elaboration needed to
>>> make sequence data Code-compliant? Or should molecular data not take any
>>> part in a Code-compliant "description or definition"?
>>>
>>> We may never come to full agreement across the Taxasphere, but sharing
>>> our different views and suggestions is in my opinion a fruitful procedure.
>>> A battle is not.
>>>
>>> /Thomas Pape
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Taxacom <taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu> On Behalf Of Carlos
>>> Alberto Martínez Muñoz via Taxacom
>>> Sent: 10. februar 2021 17:34
>>> To: Taxa com <taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
>>> Subject: [Taxacom] GENERAL CALL TO BATTLE
>>>
>>>  ***GENERAL CALL TO BATTLE***
>>> Calling all Zoological Taxonomists to Battle!
>>> Dear friends and colleagues,
>>> We are going to need as much help as possible to fight the attempts of
>>> Michael Sharkey, Daniel Janzen, Paul Herbert, and others to override the
>>> ZooCode and to overwrite 250+ years of Zoological Taxonomy.
>>> If you are willing to contribute your arguments and expertise to a
>>> response paper, please contact me.
>>> Those of you who might not be aware of this serious issue, please check:
>>> 1) Meierotto et al. (2019): A revolutionary protocol to describe
>>> understudied hyperdiverse taxa and overcome the taxonomic impediment.
>>> Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, 66 (2): 119-145.
>>>
>>> https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.3897%2Fdez.66.34683&data=04%7C01%7Ctpape%40snm.ku.dk%7Cee5633a991a7482f6def08d8cde62cfe%7Ca3927f91cda14696af898c9f1ceffa91%7C0%7C0%7C637485735767274676%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=aeCRCezA5QrPbnGXNbetMjKOSnb%2Fjg5GU8yv0Xji9%2Fk%3D&reserved=0
>>> 2) Sharkey et al. (2021): Minimalist revision and description of 403 new
>>> species in 11 subfamilies of Costa Rican braconid parasitoid wasps,
>>> including host records for 219 species. ZooKeys, 1013: 1-665.
>>>
>>> https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.3897%2Fzookeys.1013.55600&data=04%7C01%7Ctpape%40snm.ku.dk%7Cee5633a991a7482f6def08d8cde62cfe%7Ca3927f91cda14696af898c9f1ceffa91%7C0%7C0%7C637485735767274676%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=MMqHYguA9UzpeDMnLfl9S%2Bl1GyYi38flhldM4ojPuII%3D&reserved=0
>>> See also a reply to Meierotto et al. (2019):
>>> 3) Zamani et al. (2021): The omission of critical data in the pursuit of
>>> ‘revolutionary’ methods to accelerate the description of species.
>>> Systematic Entomology, 46: 1-4.
>>> https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.1111%2Fsyen.12444&data=04%7C01%7Ctpape%40snm.ku.dk%7Cee5633a991a7482f6def08d8cde62cfe%7Ca3927f91cda14696af898c9f1ceffa91%7C0%7C0%7C637485735767274676%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=JHx67qjPWUU7pXGuKWFIonf%2Bf4H1Bpk3ParCOlD4meo%3D&reserved=0
>>> We need as much help as possible! Please, share widely and invite others
>>> to contribute! Let this be the hour when we draw swords together!
>>>
>>> Carlos A. Martínez Muñoz
>>> Zoological Museum, Biodiversity Unit
>>> FI-20014 University of Turku
>>> Finland
>>> Myriatrix <
>>> https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyriatrix.myspecies.info%2F&data=04%7C01%7Ctpape%40snm.ku.dk%7Cee5633a991a7482f6def08d8cde62cfe%7Ca3927f91cda14696af898c9f1ceffa91%7C0%7C0%7C637485735767274676%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=W3OmbF%2BvvsBDL%2BLuABCdtQNNvVoTgYNj3NV6Z%2BtYhTs%3D&reserved=0
>>> >
>>> ResearchGate profile
>>> <
>>> https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Fprofile%2FCarlos_Martinez-Munoz&data=04%7C01%7Ctpape%40snm.ku.dk%7Cee5633a991a7482f6def08d8cde62cfe%7Ca3927f91cda14696af898c9f1ceffa91%7C0%7C0%7C637485735767274676%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=U8rSJC0SYre7G3kQu4vjSylWfchykhGHowhBm4W6BEs%3D&reserved=0
>>> >
>>> Myriapod Morphology and Evolution
>>> <
>>> https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fgroups%2F205802113162102%2F&data=04%7C01%7Ctpape%40snm.ku.dk%7Cee5633a991a7482f6def08d8cde62cfe%7Ca3927f91cda14696af898c9f1ceffa91%7C0%7C0%7C637485735767274676%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=4V6waJWSrOM5OMMW%2BW7cSefHgrjvTP%2Fs8AdjqpObiG4%3D&reserved=0
>>> >
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>
>
> --
> Scott Thomson
>
> Chelonian Research Institute
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-- 
-So many mites, so little time!
Barry M. OConnor
Emeritus Professor  & Curator
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Research Museums Center
University of Michigan                  phone: 734-763-4354
3600 Varsity Drive                         fax: 734-763-4080
Ann Arbor, MI 48108-2228          e-mail: bmoc at umich.edu