Please excuse me. I rarely post, but this issue sparked some interest. Occasionally a researcher discovers a species which is so unique that it is obvious to him or her that it is new to science. What is the minimum number of examples required to be considered? I'm unable to find the answer in the ICZN. Second question. How does one determine if a new species is juvenile, if he or she does not have a baseline to compare? Let me provide a scenario. I know of a chiton species which was examined by the late Dr Tony Ferreira. He determined that they were a new species but were also juvenile, because "there is only one row of ocelli in the lateral areas". I'm not doubting his wisdom, but simply trying to gain an understanding of what sometimes appears to be non-tangible. The Ghost Sheller [log in to unmask] ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com