>is taxonomy an exact science? I do not think so.

Not in reality... but the object is to try to be as exact as possible.

>I think the "species" concept was born with mankind not with nature.

Well, the highschool text definition of species bears little
resemblance to reality, but cladistics is helping here (Wash my mouth
out! Yuk!).

>We can look for "real relationships", but wouldn't they always be a
>subjective matter?
>Whatever method you use, wouldn't the discrimination between two different
>things be affected by personal thoughts and ideas even if you are the most
>honest scientist who tries to be as much objective as you can?

To a degree, sure. The point is that the worker should do his best to
avoid subjectivity in order to stay as close to reality as possible;
this will vary from individual to individual, and some will not be
anywhere near reality.

>I think we built taxonomy to make our lives easier when we speak about
>living beings (and I think Linné and its binomial *universal* nomenclature
>are great).

Taxonomy was made for science, and it must remain so. A,mateurs like
ourselves must adapt ourselve to it, not the other way round.

>If this is the aim of taxonomy, then sometimes we might be a bit more
>conservative and helping people of different generations understand
>each other.

I'm not trying to be snide or nasty, but the fact is that generic
diagnoses will be tightened over time, based of course on the type
species. As genera become better-constrained more species will be
squeezed out and many subgenera (not all, though, I hope!) will have
to be elevated to generic rank... otherwise some genera will be
polyphyletic ie composed of unrelated forms. Therefore those who have
difficulty with taxonomic names will be in for further difficulty...
but unfortunately this is not avoidable.

I myself have long been resisting the "breakup" of genera, but in the
last few years have seen that in many cases (eg Tellina, which I'm
just softening on at present) it is inevitable and right. But I'm not
about to abandon all subgenera... so I will be detested by those on
both sides of the fence. Poor me.
--
Andrew Grebneff
165 Evans St, Dunedin 9001, New Zealand
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