Dear Listers,
I received along e-mail regarding proposed changes in the ICZN, which might
allow the electronic publishing of new taxa, from the famous www.
animalbase.de. They asked me to contribute it to the list. The full text,
which does not fit into the Listīs limits can be obtained by sending a short
notice to me privately.
Dear colleagues, dear AnimalBase collaborators,
If you are interested in zoological taxonomy and early zoological
literature you will know the importance of the International Code of
Zoological Nomenclature.
Currently there are attempts to change the Code and to allow
electronic publications for nomenclature. Until recently the Code has
only allowed printed paper as published work.
The AnimalBase Team has been asked by the Secretary of the ICZN
(International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature) to inform
taxonomists about this process, and has also asked for comments on the
proposed Amendment. Written comments will be needed until 10 July.
Contents of this mail:
1 - Introduction (short text)
2 - Procedure and background (long text, partly displayed)
3 - Main statements of the corporate AnimalBase comment (short text, not
included here)
4 - Full text of the corporate AnimalBase comment (long text, not included
here)
Please send this mail also to other interested persons and mailing
groups.
Introduction
In this mail we would like to inform you about the procedure,
contents and backgrounds of this proposal, and we would like to ask
you to send either a comment to the ICZN Secretary yourself, or
support with your name our corporate AnimalBase Team comment.
The AnimalBase Team in Goettingen has a critical position to this
proposal, and we have prepared a corporate comment which we are going
to submit to the ICZN before 10 July.
Comments will be published in the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature
(BZN). If you like to write a comment yourself, in favour or against
the proposal, you can send it directly to the ICZN Secretary at
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If you like to support our corporate AnimalBase comment, please send a
short e-mail to
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containing your name, city and country, the animal group in which you
are specialised.
It is no problem if you are not affiliated to an institution, the
ICZN has also explicitely asked for opinions by amateur taxonomists
who are doing very important taxonomic work. It is the spirit of
AnimalBase to support amateur scientists by providing free access to
literature, so we would very much appreciate their feedback.
Procedure and background
The Amendment has two topics: accepting electronical publications for
nomenclature, and defining a newly established database (ZooBank) to
work as an Official Register.
The full text of the Amendment proposal can be downloaded here:
http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2008/f/zt01908p067.pdf
There is only an English version.
In the last BZN issue some contributions to the discussion were
published:
http://www.iczn.org/BZN%2066(1)%20Contributions%20to%20the%20discussio
n%20on%20electronic%20publication.pdf
ICZN seems to have serious problems in reaching taxonomists outside a
narrow circle of zoologists surrounding the Commission. Contacts
to and feedback from taxonomists in non-English speaking countries
seem to be particularly difficult. Many Commissioners seem to support
the Amendment, but ICZN has expressedly written us that also critical
comments are appreciated.
Best regards and thank you for your kind attention
Francisco Welter-Schultes
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