Taxacom: published names without description

[Douglas Yanega]

As of the 2000 Edition of the Code (Code 4) there are more criteria that 
need to be met for a new name to be available than was true in earlier 
Code versions.

(1) It must be *published* in the sense of the Code. With print pubs 
this is generally easily met, for e-only publications the requirements 
are very stringent and complicated.

(2) Names for new families *must* designate a type genus, new genera 
must?designate a type species, new species must?designate a type specimen.

(3) There must be an *explicit statement* that the names are new, and 
they must be proposed as available names of subspecies or higher rank, 
not synonyms, morphs, or varieties, or as "conditional" names.

(4) proposals of new taxa must include a *verbal description* of their 
diagnostic feature(s).

(5) for new species, the *name and location* of the depository of the 
type specimen must be given.

While these provisions are excellent at preventing "accidental" 
introduction of new names (such as in a meeting abstract) it's pretty 
remarkable how often authors trying to publish new taxa fail to comply 
with all the requirements. In just the past year, I've seen examples of 
works failing each one of the criteria above, sometimes more than one.

Peace,

-- 
Doug Yanega      Dept. of Entomology       Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0314  voicemail:951-827-8704
FaceBook: Doug Yanega (disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
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