Hebejeebie

[Thomas Lammers]

>This is reminiscent of one fairly recent example of *poor* humor on
>the part of the palaeontologists; when an entomologist, Mike Ivie,
>discovered that the dinosaur genus Syntarsus was a junior synonym (by
>100 years) of a well-known beetle genus, and was unable to contact
>the original author (actually, he was informed *incorrectly* that
>said author was dead), the replacement name given was
>"Megapnosaurus". The name ("big dead lizard") has evidently offended
>a great many palaeontologists, despite the fact that - as a group -
>palaeontologists are among the worst offenders, as far as bequeathing
>names for less-than-objective reasons. One can only suspect that
>these same offended individuals don't care much for many of their
>colleagues' efforts, Cuttysarkus included. ;-)

Yeah, I think a lot of botanists were upset when a former Taxacomer named a
Berberis after a Star Trek botanist.  In fact, one of these days, I'm going
to work up the nerve to name the next new Lobelia that turns up in honor of
Frodo Baggins' relative, Lobelia Sackville-Baggins.  It just seems too good
an opportunity to pass up.


Thomas G. Lammers, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor and Curator of the Herbarium (OSH)
Department of Biology and Microbiology
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901-8640 USA

e-mail:       lammers at uwosh.edu
phone:      920-424-1002
fax:           920-424-1101

Plant systematics; classification, nomenclature, evolution, and biogeography
of the Campanulaceae s. lat.

Webpages:
http://www.uwosh.edu/departments/biology/Lammers.htm
http://www.uwosh.edu/departments/biology/herbarium/herbarium.html
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Resort/7156/lammers.html
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"Today's mighty oak is yesterday's nut that stood his ground."
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