Priority (biology)

Sanzinia madagascariensis was moved to the genus Boa. To avoid having the same name as another snake, it was renamed Boa manditra. On further investigation, it was established that the move had been incorrect, so the original name was reinstated as the valid name.

Priority is a principle in biological taxonomy by which a valid scientific name is established based on the oldest available name. It is a decisive rule in botanical and zoological nomenclature to recognise the first binomial name (also called binominal name in zoology) given to an organism as the correct and acceptable name.[1][2] The purpose is to select one scientific name as a stable one out of two or more alternate names that often exist for a single species.[3][4]

The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN) defines it as: "A right to precedence established by the date of valid publication of a legitimate name or of an earlier homonym, or by the date of designation of a type."[5] Basically, it is a scientific procedure to eliminate duplicate or multiple names for a species, for which Lucien Marcus Underwood called it "the principle of outlaw in nomenclature".[6]

  1. ^ Dubois, Alain (2010-07-01). "Zoological nomenclature in the century of extinctions: priority vs. 'usage'". Organisms Diversity & Evolution. 10 (3): 259–274. Bibcode:2010ODivE..10..259D. doi:10.1007/s13127-010-0021-3. ISSN 1618-1077.
  2. ^ Hitchcock, A. S. (1921). "The Type Concept in Systematic Botany". American Journal of Botany. 8 (5): 251–255. doi:10.2307/2434993. ISSN 0002-9122. JSTOR 2434993.
  3. ^ Rickett, H. W. (1953). "Expediency vs. Priority in Nomenclature". Taxon. 2 (6): 117–124. doi:10.2307/1216446. ISSN 0040-0262. JSTOR 1216446.
  4. ^ "The Code of the Near Future". The American Midland Naturalist. 1 (5): 143–144. 1909. doi:10.2307/2993205. ISSN 0003-0031. JSTOR 2993205.
  5. ^ "Glossary". International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. Glashütten, Germany: Koeltz Botanical Books. 2018 [2017]. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  6. ^ Underwood, Lucien M. (1892-08-26). "Some Points in the Nomenclature-Priority Question". Science. ns-20 (499): 116–117. Bibcode:1892Sci....20..116U. doi:10.1126/science.ns-20.499.116. ISSN 0036-8075. JSTOR 1767778. PMID 17744445.