Paleonet: Homo sapiens

[Franz-Josef Lindemann]

Not the Dome of course, it's the Cathedral.

fjl

At 00:28 11.02.2008, you wrote:
>What surprises me regarding Homo sapiens is that, since Linnaeus 
>established the
>species, nobody (apparently) has nominated a lectotype. If this were done, it
>would (provided the publication met all requirements of the Code) have to be
>treated as a legitimate nomenclatural act, as with any other lectotype
>nomination.
>Pierre
>_______________________________
>Dr PD Kruse
>Northern Territory Geological Survey
>PO Box 3000, Darwin NT 0801, Australia
>Tel: (8) 8999 5451  Fax: (8) 8999 6824
>Web: http://www.nt.gov.au/dpifm/Minerals_Energy/Geoscience/
>
>
> 
>
>              "Jere H. 
> Lipps"
>              <jlipps at berkeley.ed 
>
>              u> 
>     To
>              Sent by:                    PaleoNet 
> <paleonet at nhm.ac.uk>
>              paleonet-bounces+pi 
>     cc
>              erre.kruse=nt.gov.a 
>
>              u at nhm.ac.uk 
> Subject
>                                          Re: Paleonet: two parts of 
> holotype?
> 
>
>              09/02/2008 12:38 
> PM
> 
>
> 
>
>               Please respond 
> to
>                   PaleoNet 
>
>              <paleonet at nhm.ac.uk 
>
>                       > 
>
> 
>
> 
>
>
>
>
>
>At 12:06 AM 2/8/2008, you wrote:
> >At 06:11 07.02.2008, you wrote:
> > > >
> > > >The status of type (holotype, lectotype, etc)
> > > >falls on the individual, not in any of its
> > > >parts. LV and RV are both parts of the same holotype
> > >
> > >Absolutely right.  But a later investigator could
> > >decide they were from different individuals and
> > >restrict the holotype to one valve ...
> >
> >In that case the two valves did not belong to one individual and their
> >joined designation as the holotype was wrong, i.e. they were both syntypes
> >(and so was the third specimen originally designated as a paratype), and
> >the later reviewer chose one valve as the lectotype.
> >
> >Kind regards
> >fjl
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Franz-Josef Lindemann
> >Natural History Museum, University of Oslo
> >P.O.Box 1172 Blindern, NO-0318 Oslo
> >Phone: +47 22 85 16 59
> >Fax: +47 22 85 18 00
> >visiting address: Sars' gate 1, NO-0562 Oslo
> >
>
>Correct, that is the way I should have worded my remark about
>restricting the holotype--it then becomes a lectotype under these
>circumstances.
>Of course, the subsequent investigator could still be wrong in
>his/her opinion and the original author deemed correct, hence the
>retention of the original designation of the specimens as the
>holotype (syntypes, actually).  These things happen all the time.
>This case also illustrates the reason that a single element should be
>designated as a holotype rather than more than one.   If you are sure
>that two valves came from the same individual, it's still a good idea
>to designate one as the holotype and the other as a paratype to avoid
>future controversies and problems.  A rational paleontologist  may
>not have any trouble with your two paired valves, but not all people
>see things that way.
>And it does no harm to systematics or biology to do it that way,
>since we would have the other valve designated as an associated
>paratype.  A holotype is seldom representative of the entire
>population or populations, and is only a reference point about a
>scientist's best judgement.   Think about humans--which of us would
>be the best holotype?  Linneaus and Edward Drinker Cope thought that
>they were the best examples of humanity
>(
>http://fishfeet2007.blogspot.com/2007/04/arrogant-scientist-wants-to-represent.html
>).
>Perhaps Homo sapiens is best left without a holotype.
>We've been over all of this recently.  No question that the Rules can
>be complex and intertwined, but they are not about biology, only book
>keeping.
>
>
>
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Franz-Josef Lindemann
Natural History Museum, University of Oslo
P.O.Box 1172 Blindern, NO-0318 Oslo
Phone: +47 22 85 16 59
Fax: +47 22 85 18 00
visiting address: Sars' gate 1, NO-0562 Oslo