Dear Paul M. and group,

Admittedly a non-professional, I'll try to articulate my thoughts on the matter
you raised.

The International Code for Zoological Nomenclature specifically excludes taxa
above the family level from its provisions [Article 1 (b) (4) of the now
outdated, but certainly still valid in this instance, 3rd edition].  It is
proper to attribute each family-, generic-, and species-level taxon to its
(first) author, followed by the date of publication.  As you know, when a
species-level taxon (the only name composed of two-or-more words) is assigned
by a subsequent worker to a genus other than the one in which its author
originally placed it, parentheses should enclose the author's name and date.
Naturally this convention is not applicable to generic- and higher-level taxa.

As for attribution of supra-generic level nomina to their authors, well, it
varies with the book.  Tucker (Abbott, R. T., 1974.  American seashells. Second
edition. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, pp. 1-663 incl. numerous text
figs. + 24 pls.) was fastidious about reporting (even to the level of phylum;
p. 7: "Mollusca Cuvier, 1797") authorship of higher taxa, from phylum to
various levels of family.  His was a primarily taxonomic work.  When one looks
through a not-primarily-taxonomic scientific work (e. g. the exalted
Beesley, P.
L., G. J. B. Ross and A. Wells (eds.), 1998  Mollusca: the southern synthesis.
Fauna of Australia. Vol 5. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, Part A xvi + pp. 1-563.
Part B vii + pp. 565-1234.), one will see even the generic names unattributed
in the text like orphans!

Generally speaking, and despite the presence or absence of provisions by the
code, some taxonomic writers do honor their forebears and cite authors of
higher-than-generic-level names, but it is arguably just as much a matter of
taste as scientific rigor.  Most taxonomists have a pretty good idea what
Cypraeidae is, but Luria Jousseaume, 1884 may propel the serious reader to the
literature (with built-in bibliographic direction).

Harry


At 06:34 PM 1/8/00 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi Folks, especially you taxonomists -
>Does the term "author" refer only to the originator of a genus or species
>name?  Or is the originator of a family name, order name, etc. also
>considered an "author"?  If so, why doesn't the author name follow the taxon
>name of these higher groups, as it does for genus and species names?
>Paul M.

Harry G. Lee
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1801 Barrs St.
Jacksonville, Fl. 32204
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