ICZN "50 year rule"

Cris Guppy or Aud Fischer cguppy at quesnelbc.com
Sun Nov 5 00:44:00 EST 2000


Of course your are correct regarding the many insects for whiich the literature is very thin. I am certain that is why article 23.9.1.2 is included in the Code, to prevent excessive application of the rest of article 23.9. This article of the Code will simply result in earlier nomenclatural stabilization for a few species, and it will only to those species that have been widely referred to under one name for many decades.

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Chris J. Durden 
  To: cguppy at quesnelbc.com 
  Sent: Saturday, November 04, 2000 6:39 PM
  Subject: Re: ICZN "50 year rule"


  At 04:52 4/11/00 -0800, you wrote: 
  >>>>

    There is no 50 year rule in "the Code", the closest is roughly a 100 year rule:

    Section 23.9, Reversal of precedence. In accordance with the purpose of the Principle of Priority [Art. 23.2], its application is moderated as follows:
    23.9.1 prevailing usage must be maintained when the following conditions are met:
    23.9.1.1. the senior synonym or homonym has not been used as a valid name after 1899, and
    23.9.1.2. the junior synonym or homonym has been used for a particular taxon, as its presumed valid name, in at least 25 works, published by at least 10 authors in the immediately preceding 50 years and encompassing a span of not less than 10 years.

    It seems to me to be perfectly reasonable to pemanently ignore name if it has not been used as a valid name for over 100 years.


  <<<<

  I disagree. There are many insects for which the literature is very thin. For some one would be hard pressed to find 25 references in the last 50 years. For others there has been no mention in the literature since 1899. These are of course not butterflies. Strict precedence will stabilize all names eventually if it is adhered to.
  .......Chris Durden




-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/private/leps-l/attachments/20001104/aff1e62a/attachment.html 


More information about the Leps-l mailing list