Re: popular names

[George Engelmann <engelman@cwis.unomaha.edu>]

> 
> 
> > But there's
> > some rule stating that when a name becomes so forgotten and superseded by a 
> > more
> > popular term, it can be forgotten. Who knows what the rule is?
> > 
> In that case lets bring back Brontosaurus...Apatosaurus just doesn't do 
> it for me.  Besides, wasn't it only in the sixties or seventies that the 
> push for Apatosaurus be used instead of Brontosaurus because of priority?
> Thoughts anyone?
> 
> --John Schneiderman (dino@revelation.unomaha.edu)
> 
> 
The rule is that a taxonomic name, even one that has priority, that has not
been used in the primary zoological literature for more than fifty years is
considered to be a forgotten name, a nomen oblitum. Such a name should be
referred to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature to 
determine whether it should be listed as a rejected name, in which case a
junior synonym could be considered the official name, or an official name, in
which case it would retain priority and any junior synonyms would be incorrect.
This decision should be based on which choice preserves the greater stability
and utility of the nomenclature. Apatosaurus has never been a forgotten name.
It is possible to petition the commission to suppress a name that has priority
in deference to a more widely used and more familiar junior synonym, and some 
have suggested that this should be done for Apatosaurus/Brontosaurus. However,
keep in mind that this means more widely used and more familiar (i.e. 
encouraging greater stability and utility in nomenclature) in the primary
zooligical literature, not the popular press. I don't think this argument will
wash for Brontosaurus, since it is more an emotional issue than one of
nomenclatorial stability. On the other hand, rules of nomenclature apply
strictly to formal usage in the primary literature, and there is nothing to
prevent one from using the name informally in general discussions as Bakker
does in referring to sauropods as brontosaurs. Sorry to be so long.

George Engelmann
engelman@unomaha.edu