Taxacom: species name vs specific epithet

Sat Dec 31 17:00:35 CST 2022

Stephen wrote: "*"The species name" can mean either the binomen or the
specific epithet, provided the the context makes it clear which is
meant.Taken out of a specific context, the question "what is the species
name of humans?" has two possible answers, but that isn't really
problematic.*" Actually only if one uses the terms in a sloppy, colloquial
way. The Code's terminology is clear (Art. 5.1): "The scientific name of a
species, and not of a taxon of any other rank, is a combination of two
names (a binomen), the first being the generic name and the second being *the
specific name*." The Glossary defines these terms in the same way, and all
articles use them consistently.

The word "epithet" does not appear in the Code, not even once. Derek's
original proposal to clearly differentiate the two is entirely reasonable,
but I feel it is awkward to use a term that does not appear in the Code.
The term for "epithet" in the Code is "specific name". A consistent usage
of the two terms as defined by the Code (*species name* e.g. *Homo sapiens*,
*specific name* e.g. *sapiens*) is be uncontroversial.

I do recognize the problem that the "species name" and "specific name" are
too similar to each other and it is easy to use them in an imprecise way
(if one reads "species name" he or she cannot entirely be sure that the
author was indeed thinking about the species name sensu the Code or talking
in a colloquial way), and I do use the word "epithet" in my own
publications sometimes when I wish to stress that I am talking about the
second word of the binomen only. I would support advocating a broad usage
of the term "epithet", but only if the term would appear in the next
edition of the Code, at least as an alternative term for the specific name.

With best regards, David Redei

On Sat, 31 Dec 2022 at 04:39, Stephen Thorpe via Taxacom <
taxacom at lists.ku.edu> wrote:

>  "The species name" can mean either the binomen or the specific epithet,
> provided the the context makes it clear which is meant.Taken out of a
> specific context, the question "what is the species name of humans?" has
> two possible answers, but that isn't really problematic. It is like "what
> does the word "right" mean?" It can mean either the opposite of left or the
> opposite of wrong, or a "right" that we are entitled to, like "free
> speech". It should be clear from context which is meant. IMHO, it is a
> mistake to think that letting context determine meaning is somehow
> "unscientific".
> Stephen
>     On Saturday, 31 December 2022 at 05:03:25 am NZDT, Yancey, Thomas E
> via Taxacom <taxacom at lists.ku.edu> wrote:
>
>  There is another aspect of using singular species name that emerges when
> doing taxonomic work. In a study I?m completing thare are instances when a
> proposed species name has little or no value because of inadequate
> documentation, but the name is used extensively and indiscriminately in
> literature. Those instances of using the name need to be mentioned in
> discussion of valid species descriptions and the most effective way is to
> simply cite the name without indication of genus, using italics to indicate
> its original proposed status: e.g. subspatulata. Putting the name in quotes
> is an alternative, but distracting. Citing it as [species of Author A] is
> less desirable.
>
> In this case the intent is to discuss a name that is a nomen dubium of
> little value and indeterminate status, not to communicate about a
> documented species. A prohibition about using singular species names does
> not fit. There is a need for some flexibility of this matter in taxonomic
> literature.
>
> T. Yancey
>
> On Dec 29, 2022, at 5:22 PM, Derek Sikes via Taxacom <taxacom at lists.ku.edu
> <mailto:taxacom at lists.ku.edu>> wrote:
>
>     This Message is From an External SenderThis message came from outside
> your organization
>
> All,
>
> Can we all stop using the term 'species' as a sometimes synonym for
> 'specific epithet'?
>
> This is a super widespread problem, made all the more common by all the
> database search interfaces that have a field called 'species'.
>
> A species name is composed of 2 words. Our species name is not 'sapiens',
> it is Homo sapiens.
>
> And yet so often I see things like this -
>
>
> https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwsc.nmbe.ch%2Fsearch&data%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7C688b14c561754c831c9c08daeb82dbc7%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638081244523196614%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=8ywTUVYXw7BFFj2NctIG%2BZmW2qHBzs0zC%2F6cL9pGbI8%3D&reserved=0
>
> which uses the term 'species' where it should say 'specific epithet'
>
> And also in introductory biology textbooks where they list something like:
>
> Genus - Homo
> species - sapiens
>
> Happy New Year!
> Derek
>
> --
>
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> *Derek S. Sikes*, Curator of Insects, Professor of Entomology
> University of Alaska Museum (UAM), University of Alaska Fairbanks
> 1962 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK  99775-6960
> dssikes at alaska.edu phone: 907-474-6278 he/him/his
> University of Alaska Museum <
> https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uaf.edu%2Fmuseum%2Fcollections%2Fento%2F&data%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7C688b14c561754c831c9c08daeb82dbc7%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638081244523196614%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=VNcX6AZbcUUaF%2FdDKDgQc4TR%2F1NqKPMefvBULKKmCCY%3D&reserved=0
> >
> -  search 357,704 digitized arthropod records
> <
> https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Farctos.database.museum%2Fuam_ento&data%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7C688b14c561754c831c9c08daeb82dbc7%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638081244523196614%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=3IiyNDtLvRWPqwkOlXiDiZfHwqjK64%2BSs1fw9no6L18%3D&reserved=0
> >
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
>
> Thomas E Yancey
> Dept. of Geology and Geophysics
> Texas A&M University
> 3115-TAMU
> College Station, TX 77843
> email: tyancey at tamu.edu<mailto:tyancey at tamu.edu>
> Voice: 979-845-0643
>
>
>
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> Nurturing nuance while assailing ambiguity and admiring alliteration for
> about 35 years, 1987-2022.
>