Another good example why you don't name animals after people

[ewurm]

I believe it to be ridiculous to name animals after people, and this is a great example.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080809/ap_on_sc/barbados_tiny_snake_3

 

[evilxyardxgnome]

So we shouldn't expect a new species of animal named ewurmadae?

 

[Onion01]

i think a scientist should be allowed to name what he discovered whatever he wants AFTER approval from some committee.

So we shouldn't expect a new species of animal named ewurmadae?

those went extinct long ago

 

[benzjamin13]

I guess some places need to create some drama once in awhile

 

[Arachnar]

Hey at least I can pronounce it. What's wrong with that anyway he can name it whatever he wants ,alot of scientists have done that.

 

[Caoboy]

LOL he's calling his wife a tiny snake.

 

[ewurm]

Hey at least I can pronounce it. What's wrong with that anyway he can name it whatever he wants ,alot of scientists have done that.

It should be named in a manner that at least gives some context clue to the actual animal, not a context clue to who the douchebag was that was wandering through the woods and found it, or his wife for that matter.

 

[Death Pony]

There was a new species of spider reccently named after Stephen Colbert! He picked the spider out himself.

 

[darthbravo]

Divorce at this point would make everything worse. Its like a tattoo of a girlfriend/spouse. If you split, your totally screwed.

 

[David R]

Its been going on since the earliest days of biology.

i think a scientist should be allowed to name what he discovered whatever he wants AFTER approval from some committee.

I guess you've never heard of the ICZN?

It should be named in a manner that at least gives some context clue to the actual animal, not a context clue to who the douchebag was that was wandering through the woods and found it, or his wife for that matter.

What is the Latin name for a Cardinal Tetra?? Are you calling Herbert Axelrod a douchebag after all the work he's done studying fish?

The correct word would be 'describe' not discover.

Hedges told The Associated Press on Friday that he understands Barbadians' angry reactions, but under established scientific practice, the first person to do a full description of a species is said to have discovered it and gives it a scientific name.

He said most newly "discovered" species are already well known to locals, and the term refers to the work done in a laboratory to establish a genetic profile. In the study, he reported that two specimens he analyzed were found in 1889 and 1963.

The press and the locals (and probably the majority of the people reading the article) have little knowledge of what it means to describe/"discover" a species. They may have known about the snake for years, but had never actually worked out and described the charactieristics that typify that species, and worked out what genus/family/order etc it belonged to.