scientific names--standardization

Michael Gochfeld gochfeld at eohsi.rutgers.edu
Sat Mar 28 18:53:40 EST 1998


As long as systematists believe that scientific nomenclature has to 
change to correspond to the latest understanding (i.e. fads) of 
relationships, scientific names will inevitably change frequently.  
Indeed, Paul Ehrlich (lepidopterist) chastized systematists 
(particularly ornithologists), for not getting the point and for 
believing that "biological species" have a reality.  

I recently learned that Parus atricapillus is undergoing a name change 
to reflect some new generic alignment of the chickadees. So forgive 
those of us who are skeptical.  

Mike Gochfeld


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