[Taxacom] ICZN Article 16.2

[Stephen Thorpe]

There is a "rumour" going around that citation of a type genus for a new family-group name after 1999 isn't required, despite the Code clearly stating that it is required:

Article 16.2. Family-group names: type genus to be cited. In addition to satisfying the provisions of Articles 13-15, a new family-group name published after 1999 must be accompanied by citation of the name of the type genus (i.e. the name from which the family-group name is formed).

This "rumour" appears to be based on a misinterpretation of the following article:

Article 65.1. Correct identification assumed. It is to be assumed, unless there is clear evidence to the contrary, that an author who establishes a nominal family-group taxon has correctly identified its type genus

Clearly, though, the issue of misidentified type genus is entirely independent of the issue of citation of a type genus, and so Article 65.1 does not save all those new family-group names proposed after 1999 without citation of the type genus.

Stephen