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Dear all,
I'd like to ask the list for advice on a problem related to
nomenclature. What bothers me is that I think I know what action to
take, even though the ICZ doesn't seem to be very explicit. I'm having a
discussion with a colleague at the moment of the correct assignment of a
taxonomic name to fossil fish taxa and the validity of certain names.
There is for example a publication of 1901, in which a new genus is
described, consisting of two species. The first issue concerns the type
species (I'll call it here 'Species 1'). In its description, twelve
specimens are mentioned and each briefly described. These specimens are
however a heterogenous assembly of two different species with clearly
different morphological traits. My colleague therefore states that its
genus name has to be deleted because its original definition is
incorrect. It should thus be either a nomen dubium or a synonym (if
assumed that the type belongs to a previously existing genus-something I
disagree with). I think it doesn't add up. Isn't the name of the species
fixed by its holotype, prompting the need to revise the species by
excluding the original paratypes that are something else? Such a case is
not explicitly stated by ICZN as far as I see, but I always assumed it
works this way. Am I right? To make things more complicated, another
species is described from the same genus. However, this 'Species 2' is
not congeneric with 'Species 1', in the sense that the holotypes of
Species 1 and 2 belong to different genera with different morphological
traits. My colleague would say, in a similar fashion, that the genus
name is redundant, because its original definition is incorrect. Again,
ICZN does't explicitly address an issue as this, but again I'd assume,
as with the species example, that its name is fixed by the type species
and that the genus needs to be revised. Do I see it right? All comments
and every piece of advice will be appreciated!
Regards,
Ken
--
==================================================================
Dr. K.A. Monsch tel: +48-(0)71-3754017
fax: +48-(0)71-3222817
Department of Vertebrate Zoology
Institute of Zoology
University of Wrocław
ul H. Sienkiewicza 21
50-335 Wroclaw
POLAND
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