International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature     

Amendment of Articles 8, 9, 10, 21 and 78 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature to expand and refine methods of publication

The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature has voted in favour of a revised version of the amendment to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature that was proposed in 2008. The purpose of the amendment is to expand and refine the methods of publication allowed by the Code, particularly in relation to electronic publication. The amendment establishes an Official Register of Zoological Nomenclature (with ZooBank as its online version), allows electronic publication after 2011 under certain conditions, and disallows publication on optical discs after 2012. The requirements for electronic publications are that the work be registered in ZooBank before it is published, that the work itself state the date of publication and contain evidence that registration has occurred, and that the ZooBank registration state both the name of an electronic archive intended to preserve the work and the ISSN or ISBN associated with the work. Registration of new scientific names and nomenclatural acts is not required. The Commission has confirmed that ZooBank is ready to handle the requirements of the amendment.     

ICZN News

The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature has given these opinions which could be of interest to palaeontologists (originally published in the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 46:3 ).
From March 29th. 1989:
Opinion 1519 Ammonites neubergicus Hauer, 1858 (Cephalopoda, Ammonoidea): to be given precedence over Ammonites chrishna Forbes, 1846
Opinion 1520 Chagrinichniles brooksi Feldmann, Osgood, Szmuc & Meinke, 1978 and Chagrinichniles osgoodi Hannibal & Feldmann, 1983 (Trace fossil; arthropod): conserved
Opinion 1535 Halianassa studeri von Meyer, 1838 (Mammalia, Sirenia): neotype designated; and Halitherium Kaup, 1838 (Mammalia, Sirenia): Pugmeodon schinzii Kaup, 1838 designated as the type species     

Zoological nomenclature in the digital era

Creation and use of the scientific names of animals are ruled by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Until recently, publication of new names in a work produced with ink on paper was required for their availability. A long awaited amendment to the Code issued in September 2012 by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature now allows publication of new names in online-only works, provided that the latter are registered with ZooBank, the Official Register of Animal Names. With this amendment, the rules of zoological nomenclature have been aligned with the opportunities (and needs) of our digital era. However, possible causes for nomenclatural instability remain. These could be completely removed if the Code-compliant publication of new names will be identified with their online registration, under suitable technological and formal (legal) conditions. Future developments of the ZooBank may provide the tool required to make this definitive leap ahead in zoological nomenclature.     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
Towards Stability in the Names of Animals. A History of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1895–1995 , by Richard J. Melville.
The Biology of Lemmings , edited by N.C. Stensteth     

Avian haematozoa: some taxonomic and nomenclatural problems arising from the Russian literature.

It is evident from a survey of the Russian literature that many species of avian haematozoa recorded do not meet the basic criteria required by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Thus 28 species of Haemoproteus and 4 species of Leucocytozoon are considered to be nomina nuda, while 1 species, Leucocytozoon turtur orientalis is a synonym of L. marchouxi.     

INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE

The following Applications were published on 30 June 1997 in Vol. 54, Part 2 of the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature . Comment or advice on any of these Applications is invited for publication in the Bulletin and should be sent to the Executive Secretary (ICZN), c/o The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, U.K.     

Phororhacoidea or Phorusrhacoidea? A note on the nomenclature of the “terror birds”

The Phorusrhacidae, a group of large terrestrial carnivorous birds mostly known from the Cenozoic of South America, are often placed in a superfamily, for which the taxon name Phororhacoidea Patterson, 1941 is frequently used. However, according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, Phororhacoidea is not valid. The proper taxon name at the superfamily level is Phorusrhacoidea Ameghino, 1889.     

INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE

The following Applications were published on 26 March 1997 in Vol. 54, Part 1 of the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. Comment or advice on any of these Applications is invited for publication in the Bulletin and should be sent to the Executive Secretary (ICZN), c/o The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, U.K.     

INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE

The following Applications were published on 30 June 1998 in Vol. 55, Part 2 of the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature . Comment or advice on any of these Applications is invited for publication in the Bulletin and should be sent to the Executive Secretary (ICZN), c/o The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK (e-mail: iczn@nhm.ac.uk )     

On the nomenclature ofPan paniscus

In 1929 a subspecies of chimpanzee was classified asPan satyrus paniscus, a subspecies of theeastern chimpanzee, and elevated to species level,Pan paniscus, in 1933. Review of the literature indicates that this ape type was known since 1881 from several locations throughout the Congo Basin and first scientifically described in 1887 asTroglodytes niger var.marungensis, a subspecies of thewestern chimpanzee. The evidence presented here demonstrates that the synonymmarungensis was known and used as an earlier name. According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, the earliest name awarded to a species is the one which has to be recognized in use. However, maintaining the emphasis on stability and assuming that to change the name would cause considerable confusion in the literature, it is this author's recommendation that the earlier namemarungensis be suppressed and the later synonympaniscus be conserved while an application is being considered for ruling by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.     

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature

The following Applications were published on 30 September 1998 in Vol. 55, Part 3, of the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature . Comment or advice on any of these Applications is invited for publication in the Bulletin and should be sent to the Executive Secretary (I.C.Z.N.), c/o The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, U.K. (e-mail: iczn@nhm.ac.uk ).     

Diagnosis of Dysponetinae (Chrysopetalidae,Annelida)

The subfamily Dysponetinae (Annelida, Chrysopetalidae) was proposed by Aguado et al. (Cladistics 29, 610) based on a phylogenetic analysis including morphological and molecular information. However, as a differential diagnosis of the new subfamily, as required by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, was not included, the name was not made available. A diagnosis of the subfamily is proposed herein to correct this oversight.     

Characteristic features of the ranks genus and subgenus, and an intercalary rank "species complex" in ixodid ticks (Acari: Ixodidae)

The work was carries our from the standpoint of the morphological conception of species. Vast collections of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Science testify to the existence of hiatuses in both genera and subgenera of Palearctic ixodids at all active phases of their ontogenesis. The fact that the subgenera of Palearctic genera have been well studies is notes, and composition of the subgenera is presented. The question of a taxonomic intercalary rank "species complex" is considered in detail in the context of the coevolution between some complexes of closely related species of ixodid ticks and some closely related species (genospecies, strains) of pathogens. The question of the taxonomic rank "species complex" in ixodid ticks as a phyletic species association is postulated on the basis of comparative ontogenetic data. Nomenclature status of the intercalary association "species complex" is specified in conformity with the fourth edition of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Species composition of most studied complexes is presented. Some variants of morphological differentiation between species complexes within subgenus are considered. Significance of the taxonomic concept "species complex" for zoological. parasitological, and medical aspects of the ixodid ticks study was evaluated. Prognostic significance of the rank "species complex" for the study of the relationships between ixodid ticks and pathogens is discussed.     

AVIAN NOMENCLATURAL ISSUES ARISING FROM THE PUBLICATION OF ROOKMAAKER'S THE ZOOLOGICAL EXPLORATION OF SOUTHERN AFRICA 1650–1790

Clancey, P. A. & Brooke, R. K. 1990. Avian nomenclatural issues arising from the publication of Rook-maaker's The Zoological Exploration of Southern Africa 1650–1790. Ostrich 61:143-145.

Rookmaaker (1989) has drawn the attention of taxonomists to the existence of a range of long overlooked senior ornithological synonyms which, if adopted in terms of the Law of Priority, would result in changes to long established names. As such extensive changes of name are patently undesirable, we propose a course of action which would entail as little disruption as possible to current usage, and obviate the necessity for the submission of cases to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.     

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature

The following Applications were published on 31 March 1999 in Vol. 56, Part 1 of the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature . Comment or advice on any of these applications is invited for publication in the Bulletin and should be sent to the Executive Secretary (I.C.Z.N.), c/o The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, U.K. (e-mail: iczn@nhm.ac.uk ).     

进境植物检疫性有害生物名录中二种象虫学名的订正

2007年5月28日公布的《中华人民共和国进境植物检疫性有害生物名录》中,隶属于鞘翅目象虫总科的2种象虫的学名需要更正。李虎象Rhynchites cupreus(L.)正确的学名应为Involvulus cupreus(L.);西瓜船象Baris granulipennis(Tournier)正确的学名应为Acythopeus granulipennis(Tournier),文章根据《国际动物命名法规》对上述种类的学名变更进行论述。同时,文章还讨论进境植物检疫过程中应该注意的问题。