Linnaean nomenclature – international consensus

PUBLICATION — Jiménez-Mejías, P. et al. (1543 authors, including A. Kaim i K. Hryniewicz). 2024. Protecting stable biological nomenclatural systems enables universal communication: A collective international appeal. BioScience, 74: 467–472. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biae043

Figure: Tomaszoviella polonica: a Cretaceous gastropod, the name of which refers to the city (Tomaszów Mazowiecki) and country (Poland) where it has been first found.

Any scientific communication requires an unequivocal identification of described objects. The Latin Linnaean nomenclature is such a consensus system in biology. One of its fundamental principles is that of stability: a correctly introduced name cannot be replaced. Recently, there have been proposals of retroactive changes in biological nomenclature on so-called ‘ethical’ grounds (for example if a person commemorated in a name is now deemed unworthy of such a honour). The paper, authored by 1562 scientists all over the world (including Andrzej Kaim and Krzysztof Hryniewicz from the Institute of Paleobiology), opposes these irresponsible attempts to undermine the stability of biological nomenclature.

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