An anonymous person at BARBARA AIGE AIGEN [[log in to unmask]] writes:
" Overall I feel that Petuch made a very valuable addition to our
understanding of the Florida Plio-Pleistocene, and that the fossils he
named must be taken seriously and not dismissed without the sort of
studies that his detractors wanted him to do."

That is exactly the problem. Sloppy work takes more time to critique than it
is worth. Whether the species and subspecies exist is really not the point
here. The fact is that many of these new taxa are unrecognizable and
unlocatable. Evaluating such work puts such a huge burden on later
researchers (and on private collectors, too!) that many people now prefer to
work elsewhere rather than deal with the mess. Life is too short to spend
measuring other people's shells for them.

People who aren't willing to spend the time for adequate taxonomy and
stratigraphy should not expect praise for their work!

Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama