Taxacom: Subspecies PROBABLY described

[David Redei]

I understand "conditional" in a completely different way.

For me, "conditional" means to propose it if and only if under certain
conditions prevail. Here is an example: "I have an unusual individual of
X-us y-us Linnaeus, 1758; in case this individual will be considered as
different at species level, I propose the name X-us z-us sp. nov. for it".
Or there is a phylogeny and you propose new tribes for every branch
conditionally: "in case this clade is viewed as merit of a tribal rank
taxon, I call it X-ini trib. nov." This is certainly undesirable.

Saying that it is "probably" a new species, therefore I propose a name for
it, should be, in my opinion, considered as valid. After all, any statement
about new species is a hypothesis. Any of my species descriptions could
include a sentence, "The specimen differs from X-us y-us in characters A, B
and C, therefore it is reasonable to consider it as a new species [= it is
probably a new species], therefore I propose the name X-us z-us sp. nov.
for it". For me, this is not "conditional".

So the Code should require an explicit taxonomic act to be associated with
the newly proposed name. In case of the "conditional" situation, there is
no explicit act. If the author makes an explicit act, but expresses a
certain level of doubt, it should not be regarded as a basis of regarding
the act unavailable. Have you ever made any act in which your confidence
reached a level of 100%? I never did in my life.

David Redei


<https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.avast.com%2Fsig-email%3Futm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dlink%26utm_campaign%3Dsig-email%26utm_content%3Dwebmail%26utm_term%3Dicon&data=04%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cb1774920dfbb43dd55ff08d9f768c3eb%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C637812851602542630%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=3DdeKJ%2BCAhBbeIUS5HwncNHomRbuLiPDkzRqGjbP4qQ%3D&reserved=0>
Virus-free.
https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.avast.com%2F&data=04%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cb1774920dfbb43dd55ff08d9f768c3eb%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C637812851602542630%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=WneL13y5J8gcyW7WzZcNDueQ4vmLqIgXOsxXXY%2FQvDM%3D&reserved=0
<https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.avast.com%2Fsig-email%3Futm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dlink%26utm_campaign%3Dsig-email%26utm_content%3Dwebmail%26utm_term%3Dlink&data=04%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cb1774920dfbb43dd55ff08d9f768c3eb%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C637812851602542630%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=n2sGJ03fRxvEFpvKecNOh3aALhFlMnXHkd9TXWbBdSM%3D&reserved=0>
<#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>

On Thu, 24 Feb 2022 at 03:58, Douglas Yanega via Taxacom <
taxacom at lists.ku.edu> wrote:

> On 2/23/22 10:45 AM, Francisco Welter-Schultes via Taxacom wrote:
> > Is "probably" conditional? The Code Glossary defines a "conditional
> > proposal" as one with stated reservations. That should do it, for my
> > feeling.
> >
> Specifically:
>
> *conditional*,/a/.
>     (1) Of the proposal of a name or a type fixation: one made with
>     stated reservations [Art. 15.1
>     <
> https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcode.iczn.org%2Fchapter-4-criteria-of-availability%2Farticle-15-names-and-nomenclatural-acts-published-after-1960%2F%23art-15-1&data=04%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cb1774920dfbb43dd55ff08d9f768c3eb%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C637812851602542630%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=nIbeijFylWH%2BZXLkiSDipbXz9rrDQRR1uLL7GJ38yrU%3D&reserved=0
> >].
>
> We would have to see the exact wording used, I think, but I'm inclined
> to not accept names like this - I suppose if it's in a "gray area" it
> might be best to just maintain the status quo; that is, if the name has
> been universally accepted since its proposal, then treat it as
> available, and if it has not been used as valid since its proposal, then
> treat it as unavailable.
>
> Peace,
>
> --
> 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)
>
> https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.ucr.edu%2F~heraty%2Fyanega.html&data=04%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cb1774920dfbb43dd55ff08d9f768c3eb%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C637812851602542630%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=MdJXoExjylSpma0pNZg5VQMX7GDsq3ypq5Nd%2BlTzO5U%3D&reserved=0
>    "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
>          is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82
> _______________________________________________
> Taxacom Mailing List
>
> Send Taxacom mailing list submissions to: taxacom at lists.ku.edu
> For list information; to subscribe or unsubscribe, visit:
> https://lists.ku.edu/listinfo/taxacom
> You can reach the person managing the list at: taxacom-owner at lists.ku.edu
> The Taxacom email archive back to 1992 can be searched at:
> https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftaxacom.markmail.org%2F&data=04%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cb1774920dfbb43dd55ff08d9f768c3eb%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C637812851602542630%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=EdwfwzYdD4nqu5fC4C8%2Br38%2Br1ot2cTwXJSEOAoD7eM%3D&reserved=0
>
> Nurturing nuance while assailing ambiguity for about 35 years, 1987-2022.
>