Chapter 6: Validity of Names and Nomenclatural Acts
Article 24. Precedence between simultaneously published names, spellings or acts.
24.1. Automatic determination of precedence of names. When homonyms or synonyms are established simultaneously, but proposed at different ranks, in the family group, genus group or species group the name proposed at higher rank takes precedence [Arts. 55.5, 56.3, 57.7]. See Article 61.2.1 for the precedence of simultaneous but different type fixations for taxa and their nominotypical subordinate taxa.
Example. The simultaneously established species-group names vulgaris Schmidt and sinensis Chang are considered to be synonyms; sinensis, proposed for a species, takes precedence over vulgaris because the latter was proposed for a subspecies.
24.2. Determination by the First Reviser.
24.2.1. Statement of the Principle of the First Reviser. When the precedence between names or nomenclatural acts cannot be objectively determined, the precedence is fixed by the action of the first author citing in a published work those names or acts and selecting from them; this author is termed the "First Reviser".
24.2.2. Determination of precedence of names or acts by the First Reviser. If two or more names, different or identical, and based on the same or different types, or two or more nomenclatural acts, are published on the same date in the same or different works, the precedence of the names or acts is fixed by the First Reviser unless Article 24.1 applies.
Example. The names Strix scandiaca and S. nyctea (Aves) were published together by Linnaeus (1758) and are considered to be subjective synonyms. Lönnberg (1931) acted as First Reviser and gave precedence to the name Strix scandiaca; thus, the valid name for the species (the Snowy Owl) is Nyctea scandiaca (Linnaeus, 1758) rather than N. nyctea (Linnaeus, 1758).
24.2.3. Selection of correct original spellings. If a name is spelled in more than one way in the original work, the first author to have cited them together and to have selected one spelling as correct is the First Reviser. The selected spelling (if not incorrect under Articles 32.4. or 32.5) is thereby fixed as the correct original spelling; any other spelling is incorrect (and therefore unavailable [Art. 32.4]).
24.2.4. Original authors may be deemed to be First Revisers of spellings. When the author, or one of joint authors, of two different original spellings of the same name subsequently uses one of them as valid in a work (including the author's or publisher's corrigenda), and neither had previously been selected as the correct spelling by a First Reviser, the author is deemed to be the First Reviser, whether or not the author cites both spellings together (that used as valid becomes the correct original spelling).
24.2.5. Unnecessary action by a First Reviser. If it is shown subsequently that the precedence of names, spellings or acts can be objectively determined, the action of the First Reviser is nullified.
Recommendation 24A. Action of First Reviser. In acting as First Reviser in the meaning of this Article, an author should select the name, spelling or nomenclatural act that will best serve stability and universality of nomenclature.
Recommendation 24B. First Revisers choosing between identical names should follow contemporary attributions of authorship. Zoologists acting as First Revisers to determine the precedence of identical names published in the same or different works, and on the same day, are advised to follow attributions by the authors concerned if these are known (see Article 50.6).
Preamble | Articles 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 | Glossary Appendices Constitution
| FranciscoWelterSchultes | Art. 23 is locked and I cannot set a comment under that page. So I try it here. Art. 23 23.1 should be modified. The name to be used for a taxon is the oldest available name applied to it, unless that name has been invalidated or another name is given precedence by any provision of the Code or by any ruling of the Commission. If not absolutely necessary the term "valid" should not be used in the Code's text. The Code must be intelligible to a broad public, and the use of the term "valid" in the sense it is used by the ICZN is not in accordance with its widely established use in general English dictionaries and in botany. Using the term "valid" can lead to misunderstandings and confusion, this should be avoided. |
2008-10-09 03:44:45 | ||
| FranciscoWelterSchultes | Art. 23 The example given under 23.7 is hardly intelligible and should be modified. Krebs (1966) associated the footprints named Chirotherium by Kaup (1835) with the Triassic fossil reptile Ticinosuchus Krebs, 1965. Those authors who follow this view and consider Ticinosuchus and Chirotherium as synonyms must use the name Chirotherium. |
2008-10-09 03:49:43 | ||
| FranciscoWelterSchultes | Art. 23 Art. 23.9 could eventually be removed. With increasingly easy access to the old literature which is digitized and available on the internet, it will be increasingly easy to verify the original spellings. I would consider it a useful rule to make the use of the original spelling mandatory without exceptions. My experience and impression is that clear rules such as the ones for type species in genera are the best and most useful passages of the Code. Really important cases should be referred to the Commission. The public who is researching names in internet search machines have much less problems with the few cases of different spellings of specific names than with the fact that many species are frequently combined with different generic names. |
2008-10-09 04:02:54 | ||
| FranciscoWelterSchultes | Art. 23 Art. 23.12 could possibly be removed. I have no experience with cases where this article would be useful. In my opinion it makes the Code sound more confusing than necessary. Names were frequently declared to be nomen oblitums, not only in 1960-1973. Usually such statements in the literature are neglected. I see no reason why the statements between 1960 and 1973 should be treated otherwise. Art. 23b was obviously a step in the wrong direction and was removed later. |
2008-10-09 04:13:37 | ||
| FranciscoWelterSchultes | Art 23 23.9.1.2 should specify how co-authorships are to be treated. Replace "published by at least 10 authors" by "published by at least 10 authors (in co-authored works only the first authors can be counted)". |
2008-11-06 12:36:39 | ||