Principle of coordination

In zoology, the principle of coordination is one of the guiding principles of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.

It states that the act of publishing a new zoological name thereby automatically and simultaneously establishes all the corresponding names in the relevant other ranks, with the same type.[1]

In the species-group, publishing the species name (the binomen) Giraffa camelopardalis Linnaeus, 1758 also establishes the subspecies name (the trinomen) Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis Linnaeus, 1758. The same applies to the name of a subspecies; this establishes the corresponding species name.[2]

In the genus-group, similarly, publishing the name of a genus also establishes the corresponding name of a subgenus (or vice versa): Giraffa Linnaeus, 1758 and Giraffa (Giraffa) Linnaeus, 1758. (Here, Giraffa is the subgenus of genus Giraffa.) In the family-group, publication of the name of a family, subfamily, superfamily (or any other such rank) also establishes the names in all the other ranks in the family group.[1]

Author citations for such names are the same as for the name actually published.[1] It is immaterial if there is an actual taxon to which the automatically established name applies; if ever such a taxon is recognised, there is a name available for it.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "International Code of Zoological Nomenclature". code.iczn.org. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
  2. ^ Dubois, Alain (2008-12-05). "Phylogenetic hypotheses, taxa and nomina in zoology". Zootaxa. 1950 (1): 59–61. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1950.1.7. ISSN 1175-5334.
  3. ^ Dubois, Alain (2007-07-02). "Phylogeny, taxonomy and nomenclature:the problem of taxonomic categories and of nomenclatural ranks". Zootaxa. 1519 (1). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1519.1.3. ISSN 1175-5334.