From: Peter Kirk (peterkirk@qaya.org)
Date: Tue Dec 16 2003 - 18:27:46 EST
On 16/12/2003 13:05, jcowan@reutershealth.com wrote:
>Peter Kirk scripsit:
>
>
>
>>On 16/12/2003 09:41, Curtis Clark wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>A measure of comparison is the system of biological nomenclature, ...
>>>(not to mention the periodic and sometimes raucous conventions when
>>>the rules are modified).
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>Probably the secret of its success is the existence of such conventions.
>>
>>
>
>*chuckle*
>
>The first use of "conventions" above means "meetings"; the second means
>"rules". Result: a non-meeting of the minds.
>
>
>
Not so! I intended "such conventions" as an explicit reference to the
meetings which Curtis described, although I was also aware of the double
meaning and deliberately didn't cancel it.
>>If biologists had insisted that names once assigned could not be changed
>>because of advances in knowledge, or even to correct errors, then surely
>>the system would have broken down centuries ago.
>>
>>
>
>In fact, Linnaean names are *not* changed for either of those reasons,
>nor for any other reason whatsoever: though we now know that Basilosaurus
>is a proto-whale and not any sort of reptile, Basilosaurus it will
>remain forever.
>
>The only thing that can happen in Linnaean nomenclature is the recognition
>that two names are synonymous. In that case, there is a question which
>shall be the preferred name, and normally it is the first name published,
>but exceptions sometimes occur. Thus when Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus
>were found to be synonyms, Apatosaurus was chosen as the preferred
>name because it was published first; however, this is not properly
>describable as "changing the name of Brontosaurus to 'Apatosaurus'".
>"Brontosaurus" is a perfectly good name and may still be used even though
>it is dispreferred.
>
>
>
I'm no expert on this... but I thought that species could be transferred
from genus to genus as knowledge advances. And presumably obvious
spelling mistakes are corrected (contrast "FHTORA" in U+1D0C5), or are
you saying that if the first publication had "Brontosuarus" as a typo
this error would remain for ever?
-- Peter Kirk peter@qaya.org (personal) peterkirk@qaya.org (work) http://www.qaya.org/
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