>Not to get too off topic, but I am curious, how *do* paleontologists create names? Are names decided on immediately when a specimen is suspected to be a new taxon? Are they done at the last minute or does the decision vary depending on who is involved (e.g. do lead authors usually get the privilege of naming or can names be decided on collectively?)
>I've never really heard a concise explanation of the taxonomic naming process, even when I studied paleo in college.Â
Okay, firstly: exactly the same way ALL biologists do. :-)
(Let's keep in mind, paleontological names are just a subset of biological names.)
There is no single pathway. Names show up along the way: maybe early on, maybe late. Normally the authorsÂtalk among themselves, and maybe get outside suggestions.
In fact, many names get changed by suggestions of reviewers when the manuscript is submitted to a journal. A very well-known Jehol Group oviraptorosaur owes the final version of its genus name because I recognized that the proposed name was improperly formed, and I sought Ben Creisler'sÂsuggestion for a better version. Another well-known tyrannosaurid has a trivial nomen that I suggested because the original version was kind of boring and potentially misleading.
--
Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email:Âtholtz@umd.eduÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ Phone: 301-405-4084
Principal Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Office: Geology 4106, 8000 Regents Dr., College Park MD 20742
Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
Phone: 301-405-6965
Fax: 301-314-9661ÂÂÂÂÂÂ ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ
Faculty Director, Science & Global Change Program, College Park Scholars
Office: Centreville 1216, 4243 Valley Dr., College Park MD 20742
http://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc
Fax: 301-314-9843
Mailing Address:ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ Department of Geology
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ Building 237, Room 1117
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ 8000 Regents Drive
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ University of Maryland
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ College Park, MD 20742-4211 USA