ICZN/ICBN comparisons wanted

[Robert A. (Bob) Morris]

Judith Winston, "Describing Species", Columbia University Press, 1999.

As a computer scientist, all I can say is that it is a good read and
explains a lot to me. I was especially fascinated to learn the
semantics of the placement of parentheses in names (which relates to
one of the differences between the two codes). Readers of this list
with more germaine expertese will no doubt weigh in on the quality and
currency of this book, but my understanding is that it is highly
respected. It does not shy away from commenting on the social,
biological, and philosophical issues that lead to occasional
counter-productive brittleness in the codes and to the failure of
periodic attempts to rationalize them with one another. The six page
description of the differences between the two codes is aimed not at
inclusiveness so much as alerting those biologists who may have to
deal with both about critical differences.

The book starts from the hypothesis that there are too few
systematists to name everything left, and that many of the remaining
names will be provided by biologists of other specialties, who need
some help in understanding where to start.


Curtis Clark writes:
 > Date:         Tue, 21 Aug 2001 09:22:24 -0700
 > From: Curtis Clark <jcclark at CSUPOMONA.EDU>
 > To: TAXACOM at usobi.org
 > Subject:      ICZN/ICBN comparisons wanted
 >
 > The recent posts about the ICZN have made it clear to me how out-of-date my
 > knowledge of it is. That would ordinarily not be a problem, since I work
 > with plants, but every two years, I teach a general systematics course,
 > which covers among other things the basic principles of nomenclature and
 > the differences between the ICBN and ICZN, and that course is coming up
 > again this fall.
 >
 > Is there an on-line (or off-line) reference that (1) compares or contrasts
 > the codes, or (2) provides a brief synopsis of recent changes, especially
 > in ICZN? Also, is it still true that there is not an on-line version of ICZN?
 >
 > --
 > Curtis Clark                  http://www.csupomona.edu/~jcclark/
 > Biological Sciences Department             Voice: (909) 869-4062
 > California State Polytechnic University      FAX: (909) 869-4078
 > Pomona CA 91768-4032  USA                  jcclark at csupomona.edu
 >