questions

[Janice at]

I have some questions I hope someone will answer.  I have been reading
Taxacom for some months, in an effort to learn more about the process of
taxonomy, and especially to learn how species are delineated and named.
Unfortunately this rarely comes up, and seems to be of little interest
compared to the delineation of higher taxa.  But the three excerpts below
from recent messages touch on what I need to know so I thought this a "good"
time to be brave and ask.  As the others on this list probably would not be
interested in the answers (should any be forthcoming <G>) please feel free
to reply directly to me.

Excerpts:

Only where there isn't "prevailing usage" [as
defined in 23.9.1] can the principle of priority be invoked
<<<<
in practical reality the FIRST
step to be take in deciding how to use those "principles," is to determine
usage, to see, for example, whether the criteria of article 23.9.1 are met
and, hence, the whether the exception (reversal of priority) applies.

>>>

Chris wrote. ...the "writers of edition 4" intended to make the
conservation of long-accepted names in their accustomed meaning the first
priority in achieving stability and universality in zoological
nomenclature.
>>>>

Questions:
I understand priority, but not what would constitute "prevailing usage".  As
I can not afford to buy the ICZN book just to look this up, can someone
please explain how this is defined in 23.9.1?  In my critter of interest, I
have found only 11 instances where a scientific name was used for the
species in papers: 4 used one name, 7 used others (at least 4 different
species or subspecific designations).

How do you score usage if one name is given in the title of the paper and
another recommended at the end of the paper?

How do you score if two alternative subspecific names are suggested in the
same paper?

Do publications of a scientific name in popular literature count as usage?

Do unpublished theses (MS, DVM or PhD) that use a scientific name count
under usage?

Lastly, I have a question about those lists and usage.  If the author of a
listing (I.e. Mammals of the World) chooses to lump a formerly recognized
species as a subspecies of another species (without including
re-description) is that considered a valid change of name?

Thank you in advance for any information.

Janice Koler-Matznick