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Condemnation.. I don't know that it matters that much. Surely the ICZN provides a set of objective rules of priority for names and a set of procedures for emending (or amending) names. As such there will be correct names for the taxa in question and all taxonomists should use the correct names irrespective of what any politicians think or desire. Presumably the turkish goverment will have to have their changes accepted and published in a relevant peer-review journal, otherwise they are of no relevance to taxonomy. The Realpolitik argument that taxonomists may apply the incorrect names for political ends will allow others to recognise non-objectivity in the science and be cautious as appropriate. Outside of taxonomy anybody can decide to call any species whatever they wish but the geopolitical arguments will not be taxonomic arguments. As a child I had a species of guinea pig called McLean's Stinking Wombat (Phascolomys foetidus macleanii if you're interested) but neither my radical new concept of the wombat nor the name caught on and the sole living representative eventually died and was buried in a shoe box. Regards, Duncan McLean Palynology Research Facility, University of Sheffield, Dainton Building, Brook Hill, Sheffield, S3 7HF, UK Quoting Jeremy Young <j.young@nhm.ac.uk>: > Niko, James et al. > > This does seem bizarre and amusing at first but I notice that all the > name changes involve subspecies and changes of combination. As such > it looks to me at least possible that there is no legalistic > violation of the ICZN rules. This leaves the suspicion that this is > being done by a taxonomist of sorts, and deserves to be properly > condemned. > > The name changes: > Red fox known as Vulpes Vulpes Kurdistanica becomes Vulpes Vulpes > > Wild sheep called Ovis Armeniana becomes Ovis Orientalis Anatolicus > > Roe deer known as Capreolus Capreolus Armenus becomes Capreolus > Cuprelus Capreolus > > Jeremy Young > > > >> The BBC News website has an interesting article today (8 March 2005) > about > > >> the government of Turkey wanting to change the Latin species names of > some > > >> living organisms to remove references to Kurdistan & Armenia for > > >> political purposes. > > >> > > >> An intriguing (and unique?) violation of ICZN rules! Does anyone know > of > > >> other examples of this sort of thing? > > >> > > >> The article can be found at the following web address: > > >> > > >> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4328285.stm > > >> > > >> > > >> Best, > > >> > > >> James St. John > > >> > > >> stjohn.2@osu.edu > -- > Dr. Jeremy R. Young > Head of Micropalaeontology Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5286 > Palaeontology Dept. Fax: +44 (0)20 7942 5546 > The Natural History Museum Email: j.young@nhm.ac.uk > LONDON, SW7 5BD, UK > http://www.nhm.ac.uk/palaeontology/micro/micro.html > http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/ina > http://www.lymeregisfossilfestival.co.uk/ > http://www.es.ucl.ac.uk/graduate/micropal/UCL-NHM_MSc.html > >
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