Hostname: page-component-89b8bd64d-rbxfs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-13T16:00:02.821Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Developing a protocol for the conversion of rank-based taxon names to phylogenetically defined clade names, as exemplified by turtles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2016

Walter G. Joyce
Affiliation:
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, 210 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, ,
James F. Parham
Affiliation:
2Museum of Paleontology, University of California at Berkeley, 1101 VLSB, Berkeley 94720,
Jacques Armand Gauthier
Affiliation:
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, 210 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, ,

Abstract

We present a rank-free phylogenetic nomenclature for 25 well-established ancient clades of living turtles. This is the first attempt to document fully the nomenclatural history of a clade with the intent of proposing a coherent nomenclatural system to replace the traditional rank-based nomenclature. Because of the imperative to retain connectivity to the literature for information retrieval, due consideration is given to balancing the desire to develop a consistent system against the desire to conserve traditional associations between names, taxa (i.e., clades), and characters. Novel issues and problems that emerged during this review include: the unclear name/clade association of traditional names; the creation of synonymy lists from which to choose a name; difficulties associated with selecting a single criterion for choosing among multiple ‘subjectively synonymous’ names; identifying authorship for a converted traditional name; and the potential loss of nomenclatural information due to ‘functional homonyms.’ This work may provide a useful road map to those intent on converting their traditional rank-based nomenclatures to explicitly phylogenetic nomenclatures under the precepts of the PhyloCode.

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable