[Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Is a neotype designation still valid if the author mentions the lot has more than one specimen?

Mon Feb 16 16:24:45 EST 2026

With pleasure, Nate.

I share your thought on 75D and to resolve the situation, you would need to act as first revisor. But the revisionary act in the sense of 75D requires that you are able to positively identify the depicted specimen. If not, you would need to argue why a different specimen form this lot qualifies. For this revisionary act, you should clarify all another issue of the faulty original designation as well to make sure that all requirements are fully met through the revisionary act.

Cheers,
Dirk

Am 16.02.2026 um 22:07 schrieb Shoobs, Nate:
Thanks Dirk and Paul!
In this particular case the designation fails to meet multiple criteria, not just the requirement that there only be one unambiguous selection, so I'm afraid there's no saving it without publishing a new designation.
But I suppose that's what Recommendation 75D is for, since the specimens figured in that paper were not a bad choice.
-Nate

--

[The Ohio State University]
Nathaniel F. Shoobs
Curator of Mollusks
College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology
Museum of Biological Diversity, 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212
614-688-1342 (Office)
mbd.osu.edu/collections/invertebrates<https://mbd.osu.edu/collections/invertebrates>

From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu><mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> on behalf of Dirk Neumann <d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de><mailto:d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de>
Date: Monday, February 16, 2026 at 4:01 PM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu> <nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu><mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Is a neotype designation still valid if the author mentions the lot has more than one specimen?

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Hi Nate,

if the figure legend includes the word "neotype" (singular, not plural), you could argue acting as a first revisor that the depicted specimens can be identified as neotype (Art.75.3.3). If that specimen is recognisable and can be positively identified in the lot that specimen would be eligible as the neotype and could be confirmed by the revisionary act.

However, from what you describe it seems that none of the other articles 75.3 apply, which renders the entire designation questionable, especially the usage of neotypes (plural), which disagrees also with article 73.1.

Art. 75.7 says "a neotype designation" (singluar); a neotype must be unambiguous, which does not seem to be the case here. From what you state I would say no, that the original designation agrees with the code.

My two cents.

With best wishes
Dirk

Am 16.02.2026 um 21:41 schrieb Shoobs, Nate:
ACHTUNG/ATTENTION: Diese E-Mail stammt von einem externen Absender. / This e-mail comes from an external sender.

This one is for all the ICZN buffs out there:

I'm a bit rusty. I'm checking the type status of a specific lot and an author (prior to 1961) refers to a multi-specimen lot by catalog number collectively as "neotypes" for a species with a lost syntype series. The author illustrates an individual specimen in the publication as well, but does not unambiguously state that one specimen from the cited museum lot in particular is the neotype.

Do neotype designations need to be individual and unambiguous in an original publication to be valid?
My gut says yes due to the way ICZN Art. 75.7<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://code.iczn.org/types-in-the-species-group/article-75-neotypes/*art-75-7__;Iw!!KGKeukY!2zvI4Dqvu__LnoTllxoMqz8dTRBzIhfLL7s0rn7Rto6wErBCVQ8COHli-LLpaFYgdawX5jdvwC1QqZmjYPHW4BgaXw$> is worded, but I wanted to double check.

--

[The Ohio State University]
Nathaniel F. Shoobs
Curator of Mollusks
College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology
Museum of Biological Diversity, 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212
614-688-1342 (Office)
mbd.osu.edu/collections/invertebrates<https://mbd.osu.edu/collections/invertebrates>

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Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany

Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn
Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst

--
****

Dirk Neumann
Collection Manager, Hamburg

Postal address:
Museum of Nature Hamburg
Leibniz Institute for the Analysis
of Biodiversity Change
Dirk Neumann
Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3
20146 Hamburg
+49 40 238 317 – 628
d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de<mailto:d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de>
www.leibniz-lib.de<imap://dneumann@webmail.leibniz-lib.de:993/fetch%3EUID%3E/INBOX/Privat/www.leibniz-lib.de>

--
Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany

Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn
Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst

--
Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany

Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn
Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst
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