Taxacom: Subspecies PROBABLY described

[David Redei]

Uh oh, then I will need to be more careful in the future. A few years ago I
published a paper in which I wrote this sentence: "It is with considerable
hesitation that the new species described in this paper is placed into
Sagriva, ..." Art. 11.9.3. says, "A species-group name must be published in
unambiguous combination with a generic name" (otherwise it is unavailable).
Now I started to worry that one day someone will come forward and argue
that my phrase "with considerable hesitation" indicates that the
combination was not unambiguous, so my inclusion of the new species in the
taxon at a higher rank (genus) was made with "stated reservations",
therefore my new species is unavailable... Is there any sense in this? I
mean, does it support stability? Why does the Code prohibit expression of
uncertainty and the possibility of error in otherwise properly and
explicitly proposed taxonomic acts?

David Redei

On Thu, 24 Feb 2022 at 20:04, Francisco Welter-Schultes via Taxacom <
taxacom at lists.ku.edu> wrote:

> Please do not overlook that "conditional" must be interpreted in the
> sense of the Glossary, not in the sense it has in other contexts in the
> common language.
> Not a certain condition is needed, but stated reservations.
>
> conditional, a.
> (1) Of the proposal of a name or a type fixation: one made with stated
> reservations [Art. 15.1]. (2) Of the inclusion of a taxon in another
> taxon at a higher rank: made with stated reservations [Art. 51.3.3].
>
> Best wishes
> Francisco
>
>