Taxonomy
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- Category: Taxonomy
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Taxonomy is the science of detection description, naming and classification of organisms. As in all scientific disciplines, taxonomy starts with observations that lead to decisions. For instance:
- the observation that the five specimens in the type series of species A contains 1 specimen that is distinctively different leads to the decision that next to species A, species B should be recognised;
- the observation that five specimens share the same ossicle assemblage leads to the decision that they belong to the same species;
- the observation that species presenting character A and character B leads to the decision to group all species with characters A & B into a genus
- the observation of sister relationships in a cladogram leads to the decision that five clades can be recognized
- etc.
These taxonomic decisions become the scientific hypothesis that taxonomist use to classify their group.
As new observations (for instance: new specimens from other regions; new characters detected with new technology) become available, taxonomists falsify the standing hypothesis.
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- Category: Taxonomy
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A homonym is each of two or more available specific or subspecific scientific names with the same spelling, that have been established for different nominal taxa.
A junior homonym is the youngest (latest established) of two or more identical scientific names established for different nominal taxa of the same rank.
A senior homonym is the oldest (first established) of two or more identical scientific names established for different nominal taxa of the same rank
The senior homonym has precedence over the junior homonym.
A primary homonym is each of two or more identical scientific names established for different taxa, originally combined with the same generic name.
A secondary homonym is each of two or more identical scientific names established for different taxa, but only subsequently combined with the same generic name.
Example - Holothuria maculata Brandt, 1835, Holothuria maculata Lesueur, 1824 and Holothuria maculata Kuhl & van Hasselt, 1869 are all three junior primary homonyms of Holothuria maculata Chamisso & Eysenhardt, 1821 and are invalid. These three names are to be rejected and replaced, either by an available and the oldest valid synonym, or – if no such name exists – a new subsitute name. For instance Holothuria maculata Brandt, 1835 was replaced by its valid junior (=later established) subjective (=based upon scientific judgement) synonym Holothuria nobilis (Selenka, 1867).
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- Category: Taxonomy
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A synonym is each of two or more names of the same rank used to denote the same taxonomic taxon.
A junior synonym is the youngest of the two or more names given to the same taxon.
A senior synonym is the oldest of the two or more names given to the same taxon.
In principle; the senior synonym always has precedence over the junior synonym.
A subjective synonym is each of two or more names whose synonymy is only a matter of opinion of the taxonomist.
An objective synonym is each of two or more synonyms that denote nominal taxa with the same name-bearing type.
