[leps-talk] conservative taxonomy

Michael Gochfeld gochfeld at eohsi.rutgers.edu
Fri Feb 15 09:52:11 EST 2002


Nice summary Ron.  MGOCHFELD

Ron Gatrelle wrote:

> Conservative - is an interesting word.  In looking in the dictionary one
> finds that it is a "disposition".  The first definition of disposition is:
> a prevailing tendency.  The first definition of dispose is: to put in a
> particular or the proper order or arrangement; adjust; arrange.
>
> Now this last bit of description sounds like systematic taxonomy so I'll go
> with that.  One might say that if one considers their self to have put taxa
> in a particular or proper order that they are acting conservatively
> (regardless of the rank).  Of course this is a subjective order as it is
> totally based on one's own disposition - inclination.
>
> Conservative also connotes something without risk or with little risk -
> staying in the shallow end - no bungee jumping for sure.  It also means to
> stick with what is -- to conserve.  In the bird example given by Barb (or
> Mike) the conservative thing would have been to keep them as species as
> that was the original position, for after one was changed to subspecies in
> the dreaded (to me) checklist, they were called species again in a research
> paper.
>
> One thing we might all agree on is that a continual switching back and
> forth between species and subspecies in not conserve-ative in anyone's
> book.
>
> Earlier, I defined myself as conservative by my inclination to only go with
> nomenclatural combinations based on published explanations (published
> research) and not non-annotated checklists.  I do not mind too much if a
> taxon is placed as a species or a subspecies -- for even if inaccurate in
> relationship as least both are acknowledged and noted.  I do object greatly
> when taxa are dropped at either of these ranks, and for the same reason as
> everyone else with this objection -- loss of valuable information.
> Simplification is not conservation - it is elimination of something
> somewhere.   And over simplification is indeed a dumbing down of science.
>
> I therefore think there is a choice to be made by taxonomists. That choice
> is whether to keep information or suppress it.  I can't imagine a scientist
> thinking there is too much information on something.  To fail to conserve
> (preserve) biological, evolutional, and taxonomical information is not
> conservative it is destructive.  So if we have to err I would think we
> would want to err on the conservative side in having too many described or
> recognized taxa rather than too few.   Especially in today's world where
> recognition or elevation post extinction will still fill pages in a
> journal, but it should leave a big hole in our souls. We can resurrect a
> taxomomic name or rank but not an extinct taxon.
>
> Thus, when I described Satyrium edwardsii meridionale, from basically two
> specimens (I was not thrilled with the GA paratypes), was I acting
> conservatively or frivolously?  In the sense of safe (not bungee jumping)
> it was not conservative.  But if more of these are found and they turn out
> to be the real deal - a SC/GA  (FL?) Sandhills relict subspecies - and if
> one day recognized as rare or even listed - my move will be considered very
> insightful, and  for this butterfly, the Sandhill Hairstreak, fortunate.
> So I see this subspecific description as conservative because it presented
> and conserved in a formal record previously unknown/ unpublished
> information rather than suppressing it.
>
> Ron Gatrelle
>
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