Petition to AOS Leadership on the Recent Decision to Change all Eponymous Bird Names (3 Viewers)

[Lerxst]

I can't download

Try this one:

https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:d418aae4-a28c-43e9-8713-91cb3139b9e2/files/spc289k55v

 

[Mono]

I can't download

Here it is

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

Try this one:

https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:d418aae4-a28c-43e9-8713-91cb3139b9e2/files/spc289k55v

Thanks. I'm going to ask French entomologists what they think of this case

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

Try this url

Eponyms have no place in 21st-century biological nomenclature - Nature Ecology & Evolution

We argue that naming species in honour of a specific person is unjustifiable and out of step with equality and representation. Reforming taxonomy to remove eponyms will not be easy but could bring multiple benefits for both conservation and society.

doi.org

I get it, it's good 😉

 

[njlarsen]

No, it's not similar. The "original author" did not create the species, he merely happened to be the first person to describe it. There is nothing preventing us from sitting down and deciding to abolish any "Principle" if it's not practical Why should the scientific naming of all species be forever a hostage of those who first named them?

Because it is practical. Imagine trying to search for older literature on a given species if names changed every 10, 20, or whatever time period.
Niels

 

[opisska]

Yes, stability is practical and I am general in favor of it. But there surely can be exceptions. Also, the current system is also not perfect w.r.t. stability, since once in a while, people dig out some arcane source proving that someone else had priority and the scientific name changes.

 

[Farnboro John]

Yes, stability is practical and I am general in favor of it. But there surely can be exceptions. Also, the current system is also not perfect w.r.t. stability, since once in a while, people dig out some arcane source proving that someone else had priority and the scientific name changes.

There is full traceability in such cases though (not least, the arcane source has to be proven). Which is an element of stability.

John

 

[Paul Chapman]

Here it is

Thanks. I'm going to ask French entomologists what they think of this case

Many thanks for this.

The analysis and the figures relate to vertebrates. So about 70,000 of the world's 1.3 million taxa are vertebrates and this proposal appears to be from a minority interest in biodiversity.....

On our local rewilding site in under two years in an unremarkable piece of land on an impoverished island for biodiversity, we are approaching our 2,000th taxa. Less than 150 are vertebrates.

If I had a minority interest, I would probably avoid the preaching tone. It appears to be a continuing trend of individuals who seem convinced that they know best without setting out a sufficient basis for me to work out why they do so....

😀

All the best

Paul

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

Many thanks for this.

Response from Jean Haxaire (Entomologist)

"Moi, je ne veux pas de restriction. Mon avis est clair. J'ai bien du nommer 50 Sphingidae en hommage a quelqu'un. Vivant ou mort. Je viens d'en dédier un au chirurgien qui m'a probablement sauvé la vie"

Translation:

"I don't want any restrictions. My opinion is clear. I had to name 50 Sphingidae in homage to someone. Alive or dead. I just dedicated one to the surgeon who probably saved my life"

and I think this is the opinion of many entomologists, particularly French, because most are relatively old amateurs and conservative on the way of naming species (in the sense that they will not lower themselves to this which they could call a "woke delirium").

 

[jts1882]

Yet.

http://ir-library.mmarau.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/13854/Eponyms%20have%20no%20place%20in%2021st.pdf?sequence=1

There can't be too many articles using Taylor Swift and Hitler in the same sentence. Perhaps this illustrates the flaw in the argument that all eponyms are equivalent.

 

[Paul Chapman]

There can't be too many articles using Taylor Swift and Hitler in the same sentence. Perhaps this illustrates the flaw in the argument that all eponyms are equivalent.

I think that if you add in Zino then most would probably produce the same order in which the three eponyms should be "corrected".... 😀

All the best

Paul

 

[Andy Adcock]

I get it, it's good 😉

That piece opens with

'We argue that naming species in honour of a specific person is unjustifiable and out of step with equality and representation.'

Discontinuing the practice, should be sufficient without, taking action to remove existing names. If you want balance and representation, start naming stuff after black people?

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

, start naming stuff after black people?

Beyonce Knowles, Barack Obama?

 

[Andy Adcock]

Beyonce Knowles, Barack Obama?

Stevie Wonder, Desmond Dekker, Serena Willliams, Pele, why not?

Wonder Warbler

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

Beyonce Knowles, Barack Obama?

Already done for them

 

[Andy Adcock]

Already done for them

So what's the problem, maintain the status quo and just start promoting some non white people to achieve parity?

 

[Dave Boyle]

So what's the problem, maintain the status quo and just start promoting some non white people to achieve parity?

You'll just have to find some non-white people who were involved in the genocide of white people or the taking of their land, destruction of their culture & language, kept white people as slaves & never looked at a bird in their lives but somebody thought they should have a bird named after them! 😁

 

[Dave Boyle]

You can't do that with a World, list though, the names are intended to be written in English but for the record, I have no issue with listing native names in books etc. I was looking at a field guide a few weeks ago which had I think, three languages in the index.

Can't help thinking it's just box ticking though, on a practical level, who will use Maori names?

I think the big problem is just trying to come up with a single, 'official' name, you can have 1000's of columns in excel so there's no real need for it.

There's actually quite a few Maori names which are used internationally & are the 'official' English name - Kea, Kakapo, Kaka, Kiwi, Kokako, Weka etc. and many others are being used colloquially more & more. But yep, it would be weird in, say a list of species of shearwater of the world to have Titi or Rako thrown in there but if you added another column I don't see why you couldn't.

 

[qwerty5]

You'll just have to find some non-white people who were involved in the genocide of white people or the taking of their land, destruction of their culture & language, kept white people as slaves & never looked at a bird in their lives but somebody thought they should have a bird named after them! 😁

I could name some non-white (and white) people who were and are promoting horrific things, but I would make probably everyone on here rather mad. In 200 years society may (and I hope it does) look on some aspects of today's society as abhorrent and evil. Maybe we should just chill out and not try to renegotiate the past. The AOS states that they are doing this in part to "address past wrongs", as if anyone's actions today can do something to help slaves or end segregation sooner. I also posit that if society would stop making race the basic defining factor of every individual then nothing like the AOS decision would ever need to be imagined.

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

So what's the problem, maintain the status quo and just start promoting some non white people to achieve parity?

Are we talking about Latin or common names?