Stability of names...

[Chris J. Durden]

We have the term *forma* to indicate a phenologically expressed genotype
that is masked at another time (spring form, wet form, etc.)

We have the term *varietas* to indicate a subordinate genotype present
within a population of a species.

Both these terms (and their formal nomenclature) are not recognized by
ICZN. I think that in future we shall need to re-legitemize them in order
to name transgenic organisms (eg. *Zea mays* var. BT#117). We shall also
need to reconcile and combine Zoological + Botanical + Bacterial
nomenclature. Perhaps the Amazon will freeze over before this happens.
.......Chris Durden

At 08:13  20/09/00 -0600, you wrote:
>Sorry that was not the point I was thinking to talk about.
>
>The linnean system of binomial names works very good. I agree totally.
>
>Now, with organisms genetically modified, what will be the name of a
>organisms with part of the genes of a species and part of the genes of
>another species. We are just in the beginning, now you have a species with
>part of 1 gene of another but nothing exclude in the future to have an
>organism with 50 % of another organisms genes; or, worse, an organisms with
>20 % of genes of 5 different species. It will be worse than the nomenclature
>of hybrids...
>
>Jean-Michel MAES