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<p>Hi, all. <br>
</p>
<p>Among the things that have arisen in the aftermath of the
terrible fire this month in Brazil's Museu Nacional - a tragedy
that affects many in the global scientific community - are
numerous public comments regarding the loss of the thousands of
holotype specimens housed in Rio, and how difficult it will be to
replace them all. The latter assertion - implying or claiming that
<b>all </b>of the lost types will need to be replaced - is
inaccurate, and those of us serving on the ICZN (International
Commission on Zoological Nomenclature) feel that it is essential
to provide accurate information to counteract some of these
well-intentioned but slightly misleading comments. Our aim is not
to dismiss the concerns of those who are worried about the
consequences of losing so many type specimens, but to reassure
people that only a <b>fraction</b> of those lost types actually
require replacement, in no small part due to the commendable
foresight of curators and researchers who recorded digital images
of many of those types.</p>
<p>Accordingly, I and a number of other Commissioners have drafted
an advisory document outlining what the ICZN Code actually says
regarding the replacement of lost types, emphasizing that the
situation surrounding each individual type must be taken into
account, and <b>only in exceptional cases</b> is it possible to
designate a replacement (neotype); doing so requires very explicit
justification and documentation. It is entirely likely that only a
small fraction of the holotypes that have been lost will fulfill
the necessary criteria, thus greatly reducing the burden on the
taxonomic community. The task will not be easy, but it will not be
as comprehensive or labor-intensive as many have assumed.</p>
<p>For those of you who have an interest in this matter, please see<br>
</p>
<p><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ef0H0pwnjJW5B5thzp-Fs5J3qEomuJyoEvKQd4hx-Lk/edit?usp=sharing">https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ef0H0pwnjJW5B5thzp-Fs5J3qEomuJyoEvKQd4hx-Lk/edit?usp=sharing</a><br>
</p>
<p>There are, inevitably, parts of the Code that can be easily
overlooked, easily misinterpreted, or fairly subjective. The
purpose of this particular document is to serve for clarification
and as a practical guideline. It does not, in any way, supercede
the "legislative" text of the Code itself, which is appended -
unaltered - at the end of the document, and also available at <a
class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted-sites/iczn/code/">http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted-sites/iczn/code/</a>
in its entirety. We would urge people in particular to note the
various provisions of Article 75.3, especially 75.3.6 and 75.3.7.<br>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Please do bear in mind that the rules concerning neotype
designations are explicitly intended to ensure a measure of
quality control over the process, and prevent abuses of the
system; every one of these rules is in place for a good reason.
Most of these rules have been unchanged (or even slightly relaxed)
since at least the 1961 edition of the Code, if not earlier, and
they have served the community well thus far.<br>
</p>
<p>If you read through the document and still are uncertain about
anything, I and the other Commissioners are generally available to
answer questions. We would certainly prefer to spend a little
effort to address taxonomists' concerns <b>before</b> any types
are replaced, rather than after.</p>
<p>PLEASE do pass this message on to colleagues who might benefit
from this information, including other mailing lists or social
media groups where this topic is of broad interest. This document
may eventually be published, but broad dissemination of the
information <b>now</b> will still be beneficial, especially given
that publications have a much smaller reach than mailing lists and
social media, and also given how quickly, and widely, inaccurate
assumptions and claims have already been distributed.</p>
<p>Sincerely, Doug Yanega<br>
</p>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
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)
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://cache.ucr.edu/%7Eheraty/yanega.html">http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html</a>
"There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82</pre>
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