Bill and others,

A perfect example of this problem exists in the family Strombidae. How
should a dealer choose the proper "name" for S. costatus from this list?
     Strombus costatus Gmelin, 1791
     Strombus (Tricornis) costatus Gmelin, 1791 [Abbott, 1960, p. 53]
     Strombus (Macrostrombus) costatus Gmelin, 1791 [Petuch, 1994. p. 258]
     Aliger costatus (Gmelin, 1791) [Simone, 2005, p.181] [Dekkers, 2008,
      p. 37]
     Lobatus costatus (Gmelin, 1791 ) [Landau, et al., 2007, p. 50]
     Strombus (Strombella) costatus Gmelin, 1791 [Bandel, 2007, p. 143]

A serious student of ANY family knows the evolution of taxa, can easily
determine what shell the dealer is offering by noting the species name, and
will select the supraspecific taxon of his own choosing.

Winston Barney
Fort Worth, TX

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