Taxacom: type versus description (was Re: Minimalist revision of Mesochorus)

[Douglas Yanega]

On 8/30/23 6:59 PM, Richard Pyle via Taxacom wrote:
> In this context, the latter requirement (description or definition) has no real "function" (at least not one that is necessarily useful) in the business of nomenclature.  It certainly serves an extremely important function for *taxonomy*, and indeed a lot of the difference between "good" taxonomy and "bad" taxonomy boils down to how robust and accurate this description or definition is. But it serves almost no function for nomenclature sensu stricto.  The closest function it might serve for nomenclature is as a "backup" to the name-bearing type (when the latter is not accessible or is lost), and similarly as a guide for selecting a neotype or lectotype.  But even then, there are no rules in the Code that leverage the description or definition in this way.

This is not *always* the case, however. There is one Article in the Code 
where a description MIGHT override a type: Article 75.6.

"When an author discovers that the existing name-bearing type of a 
nominal species-group taxon is not in taxonomic accord with the 
prevailing usage of names and stability or universality is threatened 
thereby, he or she should maintain prevailing usage [Art. 82] and 
request the Commission to set aside under its plenary power [Art. 81] 
the existing name-bearing type and designate a neotype."

While there are several ways such a discrepancy might arise, there IS a 
subset of these cases where the description conforms to the taxon known 
by a name, but the type does not, so the type has to be replaced.

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)
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