Genitive forms in species names

[bh480@scn.org]

From: Ben Creisler bh480@scn.org
Genitive forms in species names

The ICZN Code permits TWO types of Latin genitives to
honor people:

Art. 31.1.1:  follow the old classical Latin spelling
rules and Latin declensions as if the name were Latin in
form (Sternberg > Sternbergius (gen. sternbergii))
OR
Art. 31.1.2: simply add a gender-appropriate Latin ending
for singular or plural (-i or -orum for men, -ae or -arum
for women, and -orum for men and women together) to
whatever form of the name the author chooses.   (Sternberg
+ -i = gen. sternbergi)

Khaan mckennai is an example of the second method. If the
first ("classical") method were followed, it would be
Khaan mackennae (first declension ending -ae, with "mc"
expanded as "mac" to fit Latin spelling).

The Code says that whichever method is followed, the
original spelling should be retained UNLESS the form
should have been a different gender or a plural rather
than a singular to fit the person(s) being honored.

Note that this requirement means that species names
originally ending in -ii, -iae, -iorum or -iarum should
NOT be respelled -i, -ae, -orum or -arum. Thus
Pentaceratops sternbergii NOT sternbergi, etc.

HOWEVER, if a genus ends up with taxonomically distinct
species with names that differ in spelling only because of
an extra -i- in the ending, the two species names count as
homonyms and one will need to be replaced with a new
name.