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Biodiversity
studies
The
term ‘biodiversity’ coined, in 1985, as a contraction
of ‘biological diversity’ refers to the variety
of life in all its forms, levels and combinations: including
ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity.
With the current international focus on the global crisis in
biodiversity, the importance of the Commission’s work
to ensure that the correctness of the scientific names of animals
is now of the highest priority.
Pipistrellus
pipistrellus
photo
credit: © NatuurBeleven, Mark Kuiper
Two
broadly sympatric cryptic species of pipistrelle bats were until
recently thought to be the same species, known by the name Pipistrellus
pipistrellus. The species were first distinguished by their
ultrasonic echolocation calls, with two ‘phonic types’
shown to exist, but they also differ in overall geographical range,
habitat, diet, ‘social’ calls, mating groups, skull
morphology and DNA sequence. It was proposed that the species with
the lower-pitched calls should be denoted by the name P. pipistrellus,
and the name P. pygmaeus, a pre-existing name in synonymy,
for the smaller species, which calls at a higher frequency. The
Commission ruled in favour of this proposal, and the two names
were placed on the Official Lists. [2003]
Felis
silvestris
photo
credit: © Bob Perry Wildlife Photography
Wild
vs. domestic animal names. The majority of domestic animals and
their wild ancestors share the same name but in a few cases the
two forms were named separately, which has created confusion.
It was proposed that the first available specific name based
on a wild population be adopted. Therefore, despite the fact
that these names post-dated or were contemporary with those based
on domestic derivatives, the Commission recently conserved, as
valid, the usage of 17 species names based on wild species. The
following names were therefore placed on the Official Lists: Equus
africanus (ass), E. ferus (tarpan), Camelus
ferus (Bactrian camel), Lama guanicoe (guanaco), C.
vicugna (vicuña), Bos primigenius (aurochs), B.
gaurus (gaur), B. arnee (water buffalo), Poephagus
mutus (yak), Capra aegagrus (wild goat), Ovis
orientalis (Asian mouflon), Cavia aperea (guinea
pig), Canis lupus (wolf), Mustela putorius (polecat), Felis
silvestris (wildcat), Cyprinus gibelio (Prussian
or gibel carp) and Theophila mandarina (mulberry silk
moth). [2003]
Vulpes vulpes
photo
credit: © Hal Korber/PGC Photo
The
generic and specific names of 24 mammals proposed in the Catalogue
des mammifères du Muséum National d’Histoire
Naturelle by Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 200 years
ago have generally been accepted as available and valid and therefore
widely used. However, the status of the Catalogue as an acceptable
work, and hence the validity of the names introduced in it, have
been periodically challenged due to confusion about its publication.
It was considered unavailable in the important Mammal Species
of the World edited by Wilson & Reeder (1993) with different
names being used in that textbook. The Commission resolved this
instability by ruling that Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire’s work
was available for nomenclatural purposes. This ensured continued
usage of the familiar Latin names of several mammals species:
a mole, grass rat, fruit bat, tamarin monkey, red fox, jaguarundi
and a spiny rat.
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