Identify change proposed for hen endemic to Puerto Rico – Repeating Islands


In “Discuten un cambio de nombre para el san pedrito,” Adolfo Rodríguez Velázquez (El Nuevo Día) writes a few native proposal to make use of the nomenclature Todus borinquensis, as an alternative of Todus mexicanus, whereas claiming its designation as a nationwide hen. Listed here are excerpts:

Ornithologists, members of non-profit entities and companies, educators, and vacationer guides shuffle methods to right the scientific identify of the San Pedrito hen, Todus mexicanus, whereas calls enhance for Governor Pedro Pierluisi to signal into regulation a undertaking that seeks to designate this charismatic animal within the nationwide hen.

On Wednesday, in a spherical desk, greater than 30 members acknowledged that the scientific identify, Todus mexicanus, as a result of it refers to Mexico, creates confusion and represents an issue for the conservation of the species and may even put its designation as a nationwide hen at stake, regardless of being endemic to Puerto Rico.

Up to now, the proposal was to right it as Todus portoricensis, however this identify was already utilized in historic data to designate a unique hen. As a substitute, the identify that’s now prompt is Todus borinquensis.

The choice on the modification rests within the arms of the Worldwide Fee on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). This group is chargeable for sustaining consensus on the Latinized names assigned to animals, as soon as they’re found and described by researchers.

Among the many approaches mentioned on the spherical desk was that the ICZN understands that, as it’s a matter associated to geographical positions, it’s not attainable to make a correction. However, in response to José González Díaz, a member of the Puerto Rican Ornithological Society, Inc. (SOPI) and a pacesetter within the motion to alter the nomenclature of the San Pedrito, this method shouldn’t be relevant as a result of it’s an error ensuing from historic confusion.

González Díaz and his spouse, Felisa Collazo, are the authors of the e book “La raíz de las Antillas, la historia de la familia Todidae” [The Antilles Root: The History of the Todidae Family] devoted to San Pedrito and the place they gather data—two centuries previous—with proof that explains the error. “It’s an offense for a rustic that has a novel, endemic hen species and that as we speak continues to be designated with an incorrect identify,” mentioned González Díaz.

This controversy dates again to 1838, when French naturalist René Lesson named the San Pedrito as Todus mexicanus, upon receiving misguided details about the place of assortment of the specimens used to explain the hen. Equally, Lesson named the species belonging to Cuba as Todus portoricensis. The latter case was luckier than the Puerto Rican scenario as a result of, in 1837, English scientist John Gould had already designated it as Todus multicolor. Consequently, Todus portoricensis grew to become a synonym of the Cuban hen and can’t be attributed to the San Pedrito.

On the spherical desk, numerous choices have been mentioned for continuing with a proper request to the ICZN to alter the identify, together with signatures from Puerto Rican residents, letters from scientists, and endorsements from numerous entities, amongst different concepts. At the moment, the motion has the assist of a number of native and worldwide ornithological organizations. [. . .]

“We have now all of the proof of the place this error occurred, we have now assist from our members who counsel this transformation and, at this assembly, we’re taking time to debate learn how to signal a decision between the management of BirdsCaribbean and the American Ornithological Society to assist this case,” mentioned Adrianne Tossas, president of BirdsCaribbean. [. . .]

Excerpts translated by Ivette Romero. For full article (in Spanish), see https://www.elnuevodia.com/ciencia-ambiente/flora-fauna/notas/discuten-un-cambio-de-nombre-para-el-san-pedrito/



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