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The Word Hawk by Bob Johnson

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The Word Hawk by Bob Johnson His intellect was keen and penetrating was Carl (Carolus in Latin), which meant Let Us Now Laud but his greatest characteristic was his ability to that his sons would all bear the name reason methodically: Carlsson. Instead, Linnaeus’s father, Nils, Linnaeus Whatever he said or did was methodical and decided to name himself after a specimen systematical. linden tree (a linn in Old Swedish) that he —Johan Christian Fabricius, admired on his family’s land, making him student of Linnaeus, writing in 1805 Nils Linné. Thus, the newborn Carl, Nil’s son (Nilsson), became Carl Linné, which With the tercentenary observance of the was Latinized in his scholarly publications birth of Linnaeus,1 it seemed fitting to to Carolus Linnaeus. His name is now uni- dedicate a few column inches to him, versally recognized in taxonomies simply as the system of scientific nomenclature he Linnaeus and is represented by “L.” (note invented (or at least popularized), and a the period) after a genus or species to indi- bit about the Latin and greek words it cate that it was he who first described the employs. type species under discussion. Perhaps my interest in Linnaeus was also Although Linnaeus’s Systema Naturae was whetted after I learned of a recent tempest authoritative during the first 100 years or in a taxonomic teapot on Barbados. Some so after its promulgation, the codes for zoo- residents of that Lesser Antilles island logic and botanic nomenclature are today rose up in high dudgeon after Penn State maintained and regulated by two principal biologist S Blair Hedges “discovered” and scientific organizations—the International named the world’s smallest known snake, Commission on Zoological Nomenclature the 4-inch–long Leptotyphlops carlae, after (ICZN) and the International Code of his wife, Carla.2,3 Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN), respec- Some background: By tradition and tively. Names of bacteria and viruses are precedent since the time of Linnaeus, “dis- standardized and coded by their own regu- coverers” of a new species win the right to latory groups. name their find. I place the word discover- The Council of Science Editors’ Scientific ers in quotes because locals have sometimes Style and Format, 7th edition, discusses known—maybe even dined on—a newly “Taxonomy and Nomenclature” in Chapter named plant or animal for generations 22 (pp 342–372). Interested readers will before it gets scientifically described. The find therein good coverage of the use defense mounted by taxonomic science to of Latin and the rules of its grammar as these sorts of charges over the generations applied to Linnaean taxonomy (see espe- since Linnaeus has been to assert that a cially pp 345 and 348). Chapter 8 (“Names species is not considered “discovered” until and Terms”) of the Chicago Manual of it is precisely described and its description Style, 15th edition, contains a similarly published in a scientific journal. (To me, good treatment of Latin names of plants this position has always rung somewhat and animals in Sections 8.127–8.138 (pp hollow. I liken it to Columbus’s discovering 356–359). America; what he discovered after mak- Some Latin genus and species names ing landfall was that people were already seem almost inspired. Take, for instance, here.) Amaryllis belladonna, the “pretty lady” There is speculation that Linnaeus lily (commonly called the naked lady), might have conceived his “last name, the unadorned, graceful stalks and per- first name” binomial-nomenclature system fumed blooms of which grace our northern because of the generalized adoption of California curbsides and countryscapes in formal surnames that was then occurring late summer. Another lovely name is that across Sweden.4 Sons usually derived their of the California golden trout, Salmo aqua- “surnames” from the given names of their bonita aquabonita (the duplicated epithet fathers before that. But about the time of indicates that this species is indeed the Linnaeus, that changed. His given name original “type species” to be described and Science Editor • January – February 2009 • Vol 32 • No 1 • 21 The Word Hawk continued precedes the discovery of the subspecies yielding “horned nose”, an unarguably References S. a. whitei and S. a. roosevelti). The name logical if relatively pedestrian descriptor. 1. Uppsala University, gunnar Tibell, ed. 2008. of the California golden trout may be (Amusingly, a group or herd of rhinos may Linnaeus tercentenary: Linnaeus on line [Internet] translated loosely as “trout of the beautiful correctly be called a crash.) And Linnaean [cited 2008 Sep 1]. Available from: www.linnaeus. waters” because it does indeed thrive only names often invoke locales—as with uu.se/online/index-en.html. in the highest, coldest, purest Sierran tarns Nautilus belauensis, the marine cephalopod 2. Hedges SB. At the lower size limit in snakes: two new and watercourses. found in the waters around Palau. species of threadsnakes (Squamata: Leptotyphlopidae: Other favorites of mine in the “zoo-” Some recent naming practices are push- Leptotyphlops) from the Lesser Antilles. Zootaxa. 4 realm include Mephitis mephitis and Mimus ing the envelope. Auctioning the name of Aug 2008;1841:1-30. polyglottos. The first, the Linnaean name a newly discovered species has arisen as a 3. Coto D. 8 Aug 2008. Associated Press. Barbadians 5 for the American skunk, could be loosely way to raise money for nonprofit causes slam discovery, naming of tiny snake. Yahoo! News translated as Stinks! Stinks!; the second or to generate publicity for profit-making [Internet] [cited 2008 Aug 28]. Available from: news. 6 name, that of the northern mockingbird, interests. (That was another reason I yahoo.com/s/ap/20080808/ap_on_sc/barbados_tiny_ might be rendered as imitates many tongues placed the word discoverers in quotes in my snake;_ylt=AuBKgl3WK7YCycoA56ZMF3uzvtEF. because male mockingbirds have been third paragraph.) 4. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. Carl Linnaeus [Internet] known to sing as many as 200 songs and [cited 2008 Aug 31]. Available from: en.wikipedia. can even mimic car alarms. (A friend of Chuckle of the Month: According to org/wiki/Carl_Linnaeus. mine liked to translate the feathered chat- an article in the 22 August 2008 Arizona 5. Wagner D. 22 August 2008. Typo vigilantes 7 terbox’s name as Singus anythingus, a name Republic, Jeff Deck, 28, of Somerville, answer to letter of the law: crusaders whited-out, cor- that ranks right up there with Wile E. MA, and Benjamin Herson, 28, of Virginia rected historic Canyon sign. The Arizona Republic Coyote of Roadrunner cartoon fame.) But Beach, VA, pleaded guilty in an Arizona [Internet] [cited 2008 Aug 28]. Available from: www. the champ in the fun-colorful-whimsical court after they corrected a typo in a hand- azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/08/22/20080822gra category, in my book, is Bitis (sounds like painted sign in grand Canyon National mmarcops0822.html. Bite-us to me) gabonica, the exceedingly Park. Members of a group called the Typo 6. goodwin J. 6 Apr 2008. San Diego Union Tribune: venomous gaboon viper. Eradication Advancement League (TEAL), SignOnSanDiego.com: Scripps offers naming rights Most other Linnaean names are straight- they were sentenced to a year’s probation, for new species [Internet] [cited 2008 Sep 1]. Available forwardly descriptive, albeit less inven- banned from national parks for a year, and at: www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080406- tive: Leptotyphlops, the 86-member genus of ordered to pay damages. According to a 9999-1n6naming.html. thread snakes that introduced this article, posting on TEAL’s Web site, its members 7. Associated Press. 13 Apr 2005. msnbc.com. Internet is derived from the three greek words lep- pledged to “stamp out as many typos as we casino buys monkey naming rights: $650,000 from tos (slender or thin), typhlos (blind), and can find, in public signage and other ven- goldenPalace.com will go to wildlife park [Internet] ops (eye), referring to the reptile’s slender- ues, where innocent eyes may be befouled [cited 2008 Sep 1]. Available at: www.msnbc.msn. ness and lack of functional sight organs. by vile stains on the delicate fabric of our com/id/7493711/. Retrieved 1 Sep 2008. Rhinoceros unicornis, the one-horned Indian language.” At last—two people who are rhinoceros, originates from the greek ῥινῥς more compulsive about such things than I. (rhinos), nose, and κέρας (keras), horn, 22 • Science Editor • January – February 2009 • Vol 32 • No 1.
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