Helmut Nisters
Franz-Fischer-Str. 46
A-6020 Innsbruck
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
 
Dear Michael,
 
in answering your question concerning why two different spellings of duplicatus and duplicata is the case of the latin. grammatical genus of Polinices. As Neverita is femina you have to change the species name
from the masculinum - us to the femina  -a. The genus Polinices
is masculinum, as you can see Polinices maurus, melanostomus,
mostly ending with - us, Neverita instead always is femina, as you can
see in endings with -a. Is the species name not used as adjective it's
another problem. But there are als femina adjectives and masculina
adjectives in latin with the same endings.It might be better to bring the
species name in accordance to the genus in grammatical sense, but
it is not so important to follow really. Beacause many scientists and
privat collectors don't accept this by a lot of work.
While transferring the species duplicatus (-a) from on genus to another
genus depends on the scientists who are working on these groups.
I hope my informations where usefully to you and I am sending my best
regard from Innsbruck in Austria. There are the same problems with
landshells too.
 
yours Helmut
 
 
 
 
 Hi,
>
> By way of introduction...I am a collector/hobbyist, not a scientist, so
> I'm not up on all the changes in the field.
>
> I've  followed the discussion on Neverita, and have finally understood
> that Neverita was originally Polinices. I accept the fact that Polinices
 
> heros is now Lunatia heros, and that Polinices duplicata is now Neverita
> duplicata, because, after all, in this imperfect world we must
> constantly strive for perfection.  But I tripped somewhere along the
> way.
>
> Regarding the duplicata: in Field Guide To The Shells (Morris, 1960), it
> is called duplicata; in Shells of the Atlantic & Gulf Coasts (Abbot &
> Morris, 1995) it is called duplicatus.  In checking my shelf of books, I
> would say that the two forms of the word of pretty evenly divided.
>
> So, two questions. One is when did the name change to Neverita, and the
> other is why the two spellings of the species name?
>
> Anyone for answers?
>
> MICHAEL
> White Plains, NY
>