Common names can be more stable

[Michael Gochfeld]

All of this rambling, mine included, is really besides the point. 
Common names offer the possibility for stability, while taxonomists
modify the scientific names to fit the current understanding (or whim)
about relationships.  Generic names, particularly, are subject to change
(almost without notice). 

Universal acceptance may never occur (but my guess is it will in the
next
generation or two).

I don't know whether the Giant Swallowtail ought to be in Heraclides or
Papilio, but the common name can remain the same. If someone prefers one
of the
several other common names applied to this butterfly, that will slow
things
down a bit, but only for a while.  

Gradually common language emerges.  I'll cling stubbornly to a few of my
favorite names (in preference to the NABA
list), but only in this lifetime.  In my next lifetime I'll be a
conformist.

To me stability is more important than the ease with which names can be
learned.   Parataxonomists can learn the scientific names, but they
might
actually have an easier time with "guapinolgusano" (worm of the
guapinol) if
there were a list of Spanish names.  When I was in New Guinea watching
parataxonomists at work, it was apparent that having different
scientific names 
for the same butterfly in different references and lists,  confused even
them. 

They did a great job in comparing butterflies and moths to pictures, but
would probably have had an easier time
if they just had to use page and figure numbers. 

I'm sure the name-stabilizers are looking forward to developing English
names for
a tropical avifauna where there are no pre-existing, unofficial
(inappropriate, patronymic) English common names to overcome.

Mike Gochfeld


>
> The parataxonomists (Spanish-speaking) have grade-school educations but are
> members of the adult workforce.  Whatever name is applied, it has to be
> learned by a combination of straight memorization and repeated use.
> "Schausiella santarosensis" is no more difficult to learn than is "schaus'
> guapinol eater", "guapinolgusano de santa rosa" or some other such
> invention.
>
> By teaching scientific names in the first place - two clean words imbedded
> in an easily understood nomenclatorial construct - it is not necessary to
> learn a second parallel nomenclature in order to bring their knowledge into
> the global conversation.  The only drawback is that they do sometimes
> create their own imaginative spellings for a scientific name (especially
> when learned verbally initially), but as this name moves into databases
> (where spelling really matters), the errors are both easily corrected and
> become self-correcting as the parataxonomist communicates electronially
> with previous records and colleagues.
>
> I should add that the imaginative mutation of spelling in scientific names
> in the field is NOTHING compared to the blizzard of geographically
> allopatric, parapatric and sympatric synonyms created by history,
> immigration and differential application throughout Latin America, all of
> which go through their own respective spelling mutations as well.   Even
> the sole source of New World amber is known by at least three different
> names throughout its range from Mexico to South America.
>
> Having said this, let me also add from practical experience that the very
> large body of tropical peoples becoming users of the scientific names of
> tropical wild organisms is extremely frustrated by nomenclatorial changes
> generated by the scientific community when it shuffles species from genus
> to genus, changes family names, and changes species names due to synonomies
> (not so bad and can be accommodated) and grammar/gender arguments (very bad
> and generally ignored).  The sooner a stable nomenclature can be achieved
> for the (every day more computer-literate and web-literate) everyday user
> in the species-rich tropics, the better for them and the better for
> tropical conservation.
>
> Dan Janzen
> University of Pennsylvania
>
> TILS Motto: "We can not protect that which we do not know." © 1999
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