History and Nomenclature of Avian Family-Group Names

About this book

The Standing Committee on Ornithological Nomenclature chaired by Walter Bock undertook an analysis ofthe nomenclatural history of avian family-group names. The primary results are (1) the establishment of a complete list of avian family-group names with authors, dates, and citations to the original papers, (2) discussion of problem family-group names, (3) an index to avian family-group names, (4) a historical analysis of avian family-group nomenclature, and (5) a historical analysis of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature as it related to family-group nomenclature. The second result is the basis for an application to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature to adopt formally the presented list of avian family-group names as the official baseline dated 1 January 1994 for all future nomenclatural decisions relating to avian family-group names.

Third is the use of this historical survey of avian family-group names as a test case to demonstrate the suitability of regulations in the Code pertaining to family-group names in the absence, as well as in the availability, of full historical knowledge of family-group names in a larger taxon. It is shown that these regulations are not workable without a detailed knowledge of nomenclatural history, and because such histories are not available for most groups of animals, current regulations in the Code pertaining to family-group names are not workable. Lastly, recommendations are offered for modifications in the rules of zoological nomenclature to achieve greater continuity, stability, and universality of family-group names without the need for complete historical investigations of these names in each group of animals. These suggestions include establishment of stare decisis clauses and of base-line lists of family-group for family-group names for each group of animals.

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