Guianan Toucanet (1 Viewer)

[Richard Klim]

AOU-SACC Proposal #533 (Pacheco & Piacentini, Jun 2012): Recognize Selenidera piperivora as the valid combination for the Guianan Toucanet.

[Already recognised by IOC and BirdLife.]

 

[l_raty]

AOU-SACC Proposal #533 (Pacheco & Piacentini, Jun 2012): Recognize Selenidera piperivora as the valid combination for the Guianan Toucanet.

In 1758 Linnaeus described 4 species in his genus Ramphastos. One of these he named R. piperivorus, giving it an extremely short diagnosis: basically just saying only that it had a black bill with a very thick 'carina' (which I presume refers ro the keel-shaped upper bill of toucans?). He gave no reference to any other work addressing the same species. He said the bird lived in southern America.

In 1766 he placed 8 species in this genus, 4 of which went under the names appearing in the 1758 book. All these four received entirely new diagnoses. For 3 of them, just after the the new diagnosis, he added a complete citation of his 1758 diagnosis, followed by a reference (eg: 'Syst. nat. 1. p. 103'), thereby establishing a clear link between his new and his older work. But for R. piperivorus, he did not do this. The diagnosis/description associated to this name in the 1766 book said that the bird was green, with black foreparts, red crissum and thighs, a black bill with a red base, and black head and breast. He then cited two works by other authors ("Briss. av. 4. p. 429. t. 32 f. 2" and "Edw. av. 255 t. 330.") but omitted his own 1758 use of the name entirely. He said the bird lived in Cayenne.

Peters' (1830) point was that Ramphastos piperivorus Linnaeus, 1758 is available (contra the proposal...?), but that its description, although allowing no clear identification of the bird, excludes that it was the same species as the bird described under the same name (but with other description and type locality) in 1766. If so, Ramphastos piperivorus Linnaeus, 1766, applying to another species, is available as well; it is clearly identifiable, but is a primary homonym of the unidentifiable Ramphastos piperivorus Linnaeus, 1758, and as such permanently invalid.

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Even if we disregard the differences in the description, type locality, etc., I do not really understand which (Code-based) mechanism can be used to fix the identity of the 1758 name.
A species-group name is anchored into the real world via its type series. "The type series of a nominal species-group taxon consists of all the specimens included by the author in the new nominal taxon (whether directly or by bibliographic reference)" [ICZN 72.4]. Thus the citation by Linnaeus of Brisson and Edwards in 1766, have the result that, if we consider that he established a new nominal taxon there, the birds described by Brisson and Edwards become part of the type series of this nominal taxon.
However, the 1766 citations cannot be regarded as suggesting that Linnaeus used these references to devise a new nominal taxon in 1758, for the very simple reason that neither was published at this date. "Briss. av. 4. p. 429." was published in 1760; "Edw. av. 255 t. 330." in 1764.

L -

 

[mb1848]

From SACC proposal 533: “Ramphastos piperivorus Linnaeus, 1758, is an available name, and the taxon it denotes is precisely identifiable with Guianan Toucanet based on an unambiguous combination of external references”

“A recent paper by Piacenti et al (2010) pointed out that for names published before 1931 neither Art. 12.1 (ICZN 1999) nor the Glossary for nomen nudum stipulates that the description/definition must allow unequivocal identification of the taxon denoted. All that is necessary is that some description be present, if an “indication” (Art. 12.1) can be found.”


Peters (1948: 79) replaced R. piperivorus (L. 1758) with Selenidera culik (Wagler, 1827) saying R. piperivorus was not identifiable. The types of S. culik are still at Paris. (Voisin & Voisin No. 19 2009)

R. piperivorus of 1758 sounds like Latham’s Black-billed Aracari, “principally distinguished by its thick black bill”
Aracari a bec noir.

Ramphastos Lutetts. Gmel.

I think the Latin name means voracious hot pepper eater!

 

[mb1848]

"I think the Latin name means voracious hot pepper eater!"
It is clear as shown by Laurent that R. piperivorus (1758) and R. piperivorus (1766) are different birds. R. piperivorus (1758) is from South America, says Linnaeus but it can be pinned down to Brazil. The first European who publishes an account about Toucans liking peppers is Thevet who spent time in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, published 1557. This is the source of Linnaeus name piperivorus. Many Toucans and Toucanets eat peppers, but this is the first mention of it and the story kept being retold by other authors quoting Thevet. Gesner includes a Toucan in his Icones Avium of 1560 including an illustration. This bird’s bill is based on a bill sent to Gesner from a correspondent and the rest of the bird is based on the description of Thevet. Unfortunately the bill was that of a Toco Toucan but the coloring of Thevet’s bird is not a Toco Toucan. Aldrovani then commissions a beautiful but incorrect watercolor based on Gesner’s composite bird. Gesner and Aldrovani are the raw source for many of Linnaeus’s entries in his great book. (On Toucans and Hornbills: Readings in early modern ornithology from Belon to Buffon. Paul J. Smith, in Early Modern Zoology 2007) R. piperivorus 1758 is a composite bird and is unidentifiable and is not an available name.
Thevet's description:
Cest oyseau de la granduer d’un pigeon. Il y en a une autre espece de la forme d’une pie, de mesme plumage que l’autre: c’est a scauoir noirs tous deux hors-mis autour de la queue, ou il y a quelques plumes rouges, entrelacees parmi les noires, soubs la poitrine plume iaune enuiron quatre doigts, tant en longueur que largeur: et n’est possible trouuer iaune plus excelolent que celuy de cest oiseau: au bout de la queue il ya a petites plumes rouges comme sang.

Aldrovandi cites Andreas Theuettus, (Thevet) and names it Ramphastos Auis Pipenouia, and Pfefferscsz.

 

[Richard Klim]

SACC proposal

AOU-SACC Proposal #533 (Pacheco & Piacentini, Jun 2012): Recognize Selenidera piperivora as the valid combination for the Guianan Toucanet.

Proposal passed: RECENT CHANGES, 19 Nov 2012.