[Fwd: [SoWestLep] Common Names: status report]

[Stanley A. Gorodenski]

If common names were to replace scientific names and to be just as useful as scientific
names and to also reflect "...our often changing concepts about the taxal standing of
various organisms and the synonymy of names", I conjecture that the nomenclatorial rules
would have to be just as complex as the current system for scientific names. The only
difference would be that the words would be English rather than Latin. This might seem
desirable, but the majority of countries do not have English as their native language.
Stan

paul opler wrote:

> The major difference, of course, is that common names have absolutely no
> standing according to taxonomic procedures and rule, whereas Latinized name
> do have such standing.  Common names may be more stable, but Latin name
> usage reflects our often changing concepts about the taxal standing of
> various organisms and the synonymy of names.
>
> In addition, Latin names have international standing, whereas as common
> names do not.  A good example is the Mourning Cloak, a name unrecognizable
> in England where the same species is the Camberwell Beauty or in Germany
> where it is Trauermantel, etc., etc.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Paul
>


 
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