Message 2004-10-0181: Fwd: Re: use of vernacular names

Mon, 18 Oct 2004 07:56:26 -0400

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Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 07:56:26 -0400
From: [unknown]
To: phylocode@ouvaxa.cats.ohiou.edu
Subject: Fwd: Re: use of vernacular names

Having read David's and Michel's comments, I will concede that my=
=20
suggestion about how "tetrapod" might be used was probably=20
incorrect--but only because it is not a true vernacular name, as=20
pointed out by David:

>I don't know how else we could get people to apply "tetrapod" to any=
thing
>other than Tetrapoda. "Tetrapod" is in reality not vernacular at all=
.

Because "tetrapod" is not really a vernacular name but just an=20
anglification of a scientific name, it does make sense that its usage=
=20
match that of the scientific name.  However, I still hold that true=
=20
vernacular names will be used broadly for a range of nested clades=
=20
and that this is not a bad thing.  David provided some examples:


>We'll
>see if "mice" will be applied to Myodonta, Muroidea, Muridae, Murina=
e or
>*Mus*, we'll see if "birds" will be applied to Aves, Avialae, Pygost=
ylia,
>Avipinna, Maniraptora or whatever

The name that led me into this line of thinking was "seed plants".=
=20
In Paris, Michael Donoghue and I defined Spermatophyta as applying to=
=20
the crown clade of seed plants, but it is often used for the total=
=20
clade.  As I anticipate the likely negative reaction of some of my=
=20
colleagues to our proposal, my hope is that they will not object so=
=20
strongly if Pan-Spermatophytes such as the Paleozoic seed ferns can=
=20
still be referred to as "seed plants".  If we want to introduce=20
greater precision into their use of the vernacular name, we can use=
=20
the terms crown seed plants and stem seed plants, but both are seed=
=20
plants.

Phil


--=20
Philip D. Cantino
Professor and Associate Chair
Department of Environmental and Plant Biology
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701-2979
U.S.A.

Phone: (740) 593-1128; 593-1126
Fax: (740) 593-1130
e-mail: cantino@ohio.edu

  

Feedback to <mike@indexdata.com> is welcome!