Dear Herb and other interested parties,
I, too have stayed out of the fray, but here's my two cents.  Yes, it is
great that these organisms are getting named, BUT....

I am working on south Asian geckos right now (Don't ask...just go with it)
and I'm dealing with quite a few species that were formally described by a
certain researcher.  Even though most of these represent valid and distinct
species, the original descriptions are weak and inadequate, critical
characters are not mentioned, they are poorly illustrated, and the taxa are
not even remotely properly compared to their "relatives"...this makes
identification by workers a very daunting task indeed, particularly if they
do not have access to comparative material of many other species.  I can
not even begin to estimate the number of hours I have wasted trying to
figure out exactly what these species are and if they can stand.  If these
taxa had been properly dealt with by the original author I would have
already finished this project and be out snail collecting, instead of
sitting at a microscope counting gecko scales!  It has taken me as long, or
longer, to straighten out the mess, and properly present the discussion in
words than it would have taken to describe the species myself....

So.....yes, it is good that there are those with unlimited energy to crank
out names for species (I can't do it...I have to sleep).....but there's a
huge price to be paid by future workers for work not done in a
comprehensive and thorough manner.  And this is not meant to slight Dr.
Petuch, a researcher for which I have a lot respect.  I'm simply stating
that the mere production of names is not our goal here.  This returns to
the comment of late that a name should give the reader some visualization
of the species.....more importantly, the description should!

A related aside:  Naming a taxon after someone is often used to avoid
potential preoccupied names (homonyms).....I understand why cone and cowrie
researchers are avoiding descriptive names....they've all been used
already....

Kurt



At 08:14 PM 11/26/01 EST, you wrote:
>Until now I've stayed out of this descussion...My two cents for whats its
>worth.....In Dr Petuch's defense(Since he's not online to reply) is a very
>good friend of mine and  has done alot to help sort out the myrid of fossil
>shells we collect in South Florida.....We have a wealth of specimens down
>here and many That I find every week are not named....Its amazing but as many
>that have names there appears to be almost as many that do not......Sometimes
>it gets overwelming with the thought of how much work needs to be done on
>South Florida shell fossils....Thankgoodness we have  an expert of Dr.
>Petuch's caliber working on them....I personally don't care what he names
>them as long as they get described !!!!! Its easy to critize what others do
>but where are the "experts" when we need help in proper identification or for
>that matter in getting the specimens named ?????  Its easy too sit back and
>take potshots at those who do the actual work...Its something else too
>actually do the work....For every author out there doing the actual work of
>describing new species GODBLESS and KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK as your efforts are
>greatly admired by novice such as I....AND my personal opinion is too NAME
>THEM ANYTHING YOU WANT but please NAME THEM !!!!!!!       Humbly submitted
>Herb Waldron
>
Mr. Kurt Auffenberg
Senior Biological Scientist
Exhibits & Public Programs
University of Florida
Hull Road & SW 34th Street
Powell Hall, P.O. Box 112710
Gainesville, Florida 32611-2710

Telephone: 352-846-2000, ext. 253
Fax:  352-846-0253