Dear All,


you can get the work, published in Malacologia, edited by
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Klaus & Christina Groh

Some important remarks: being close to Klaus he showed me the work
many months ago. And of course I got the normal reaction: what are we
going to do, such a big changes - especially with the databases we
have in Conchology, Inc. - near to one million files - 350000
documented photos - we cannot all put them online because of
financial barriers, but anyhow, we have to adapt one day all the
databases inside the office.

Six months ago I started with Tagaro & Dekker a work that became huge
(180 pages, 80 plates): the Trochidae from the Visayas. And Philippe
Bouchet is often in the Philippines and our company works quite close
with the MNHN on their various giant projects locally here. He was so
kind to forward me this part of the work, and the Visaya supplement 2
is now finished and in print, with the new classification.

We adapted the new classification: SEGUENZIIDAE, CHILODONTIDAE,
TROCHIDAE, CALLIOSTOMATIDAE and SOLARIELLIDAE, usually all placed
together in TROCHIDAE before, except the SEGUENZIIDAE which where
already fairly well treated as a separate family in the past.

We have here over 170 species of these groups (66 are new) and it
developed as the new classification on this level truly works: all
these 5 families form homogenous conchological units except for the
Stomatellidae which in my opinion should also be a separate family.
There is a big problem there as some genera fall into the
Chilodontidae (Hybochelus) - while others (Stomatolina, Stomatella)
fall in the Trochidae in subfamily Stomatellinae.
`
The major problem we got is that the work of Bouchet and Rocroi goes
down only to subfamily and tribe levels. It took us two full days to
find out which genus goes in which family and which subfamily, only
for the groups mentioned above. And one needs the main literature for
the respective groups - in this case like all the classics on
classification Thiele (1931) Wenz (1938), Moore (1960) Vaught +
Hickman & McLean and Marshall (1991).

So, of course I cannot sacrifice one year of my life to search out
what goes where in the new classification: thinking about the
Turridae one gets mad.

When Bouchet arrived a little later on Mactan we could discuss things
over and it is actually his plan to organize - in a couple of years -
his own saying - a big meeting for several months in the MNHN with
the cream of taxonomists of today who all get at their disposal the
giant compilation of Rocroi in order to decide what goes where on the
generic level. Then everything has to be uniformed, rechecked and
published. In reality we will get results in five years from now if
everything goes as planned.

Evolution is not to avoid, and the work is a tremendous contribution
without any doubt. As humans we all hate changes, but in this case
there is nothing to do than adapt.

In Conchology, Inc. we will change the databases when the whole work
becomes available, but some minor changes we already do. New books
will probably adapt the new classification and slowly on we will get
used to it. Anyhow, all nomenclatoral experts have to know the past
of their respective groups: if one does not know Angaria were called
Delphinula, he will not find them in the old literature. And if you
work on Buccinidae, you have to consult at least 10 families in old
books....           A company as Conchology, Inc. will have someone
changing all, and it'll take her probably a year or so. A good reason
for Museums to ask a couple of extra people to their respective
governements, or leave the collections as they are - not a big deal
for most experts who all know and will know for the next 200 years
that the Calliostoma are in the drawers of the Trochidae.

Hope this brings some extra info,

Best regards, Mabuhay, Guido from Mactan Island on late saturday
afternoon.

www.conchology.be

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