©Biologiezentrum Linz/Austria, download unter www.biologiezentrum.at Annotated catalogue of “type material” of ciliates (Ciliophora) and some further protists at the Upper Austrian Museum in Linz, including a guideline for “typification” of species* E r n a A E S C HT Abstract: Methods for preparing soft-bodied protists permanently to be deposited as adequate “types” allowing a three-dimensio- nal re-examination of specimens have only been available for the past four decades. Photographs of differently prepared and la- belled “type” slides document the history of “typification” since 1974. The species- and genus-group names (as in the paper re- ferring to the slide deposited) appear in alphabetical order for an easier location due to the various combinations of protist taxa. Information on the original denomination (protonoym), authorship, (micro)habitat and “type” location, the category and kind of deposition (original or subsequent) of “types” including the inventory numbers of our institution – with LI as official acronym – as well as the recent taxonomic status is given. Literature references are provided for the original name, recent recombinations, those related to deposition or if the species has been relegated to synonymy. Specimens labelled as “types”, which they are not ac- cording to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, shortly ICZN, are also treated. Currently at least 2000 “type” slides (not specimens!) of 779 species, classified in 343 genera and 138 families were deposited. 47 states with “type” localities are represented: 15 from Europe, 8 from America, 12 from Africa, 7 from Asia and 5 from the Pacific Region. 34.2 % of the species have their “type” locality in Austria, 14 % in Namibia, each about 6 % in Antarctica, Germany, France and Australia. 58.5 % of the species deposited are terrestrial, 26.6 % limnetic, 13.4 % marine and 1.5 % parasitic. These specimens have been obtained from various sources (15 persons), main contributors are Wilhelm FOISSNER (and his co-authors) and Jean DRAGESCO. More than 200 publications have been located referring to the “type” collection at Linz. Taking into account the about 4000 voucher slides including those of Bruno Maria KLEIN and Josef DIECKMANN, the big library on protistological jour- nals and reprints, this collection is the most comprehensive one worldwide and thus a unique training possibility for beginners to become familiar with microscopic organisms. This evaluation clearly shows the problems in “typification” of protists, which should be reflected in future editions of the ICZN and aims to make accessible important information for future taxonomic stu- dies in protistology. Due to the misleading connotations of the term “type”, some more precise technical terms are introduced to protistologists following the french herpetologist and curator Alain DUBOIS. Key words: Collection, flagellates, fungi, microsporidians, nomenclature, protozoa, repository, taxonomy, testate amoebae. ∗ This compilation is dedicated to Wilhelm FOISSNER on the occa- sion of his 60th birthday. “Willi” continuously motivates with his enthusiasm for the microscopic world and enduring aspiration to Denisia 23 (2008): clear faults. 125-234 ©Biologiezentrum Linz/Austria, download unter www.biologiezentrum.at Contents 1 Introduction . 127 2 Background and terminology . 128 2.1 Nomenclatural steps . 128 2.1.1 Availability of a name . 129 2.1.2 Allocation of a name to a taxon . 130 2.1.3 Validity . 130 2.2 Curatorial practice . 130 2.2.1 Registration . 132 2.2.1.1 Puzzle: name on label versus in paper . 133 2.2.1.2 Puzzle: date . 134 2.2.1.3 Puzzle: “type” locality . 134 2.2.2 Verification . 135 2.2.2.1 Puzzle: “type” designation – original versus subsequent . 135 2.2.2.2 Puzzle: category of “type” – single versus multiple specimens . 136 2.2.2.3 Puzzle: “type” deposition – fact versus fiction . 138 2.2.3 Validation . 138 2.3 Presentation of items . 138 3 Material . 140 3.1 Ciliophora . 140 3.2 Further protists . 187 4 Survey of the revised collection and further “type” material . 188 4.1 Involved persons and coverage of “typified” and untypified taxa . 188 4.2 Vouchers . 188 4.3 Onomatophores . 189 4.4 “Type” localities . 190 5 Discussion . 219 5.1 Ambiguities of the ICZN and how many codes are needed? . 219 5.1.1 Published versus unpublished evidence . 219 5.1.2 Immaterial versus material evidence . 219 5.1.3 Single specimen versus multiple specimens (slides) . 220 5.1.4 Further notes . 222 5.2 Evaluation of “typification” in protistology . 223 5.2.1 Problems of dimension, diversity and transient nature of populations . 223 5.2.2 Problems of the lack and adequacy of “type” material . 224 5.2.3 The underestimated role of repositories and documentation . 224 5.2.4 Two sides of a coin: taxonomy (science) and nomenclature (tool) . 225 5.2.4.1 Confusing taxonomy and nomenclature . 225 5.2.4.2 “Types” are not necessarily typical . 225 5.3 Guideline for “typification” of species . 226 6 Acknowledgements . 227 7 References . 227 8 Abbreviations . 233 9 Glossary . 233 126 ©Biologiezentrum Linz/Austria, download unter www.biologiezentrum.at 1 Introduction more acceptance, although some problems of under- standing still prevail, viz. the differences between More than 90 % of all described ciliates and likely nomenclature and taxonomy as well as the underesti- 99 % of other protists (with a lowercase p) without mated role of vouchers (detailed in chapters 2.2 and 5). shells lack “type” series, or the material hardly shows the Among them, the very special function of name-bearing species-specific features (e.g. CORLISS 1965; BANDONI & “types” being an objective connexion between the DUSZYNSKI 1988; FOISSNER & PFISTER 1997, FOISSNER world of specimens (and, through them, of natural pop- 2002, FOISSNER et al. 2002). This causes taxonomic and ulations of organisms) and the world of language (e.g. nomenclatural problems and increases the degree of ICZN 1999; DASTON 2004; DUBOIS & OHLER 1997a, b). subjectivity in the identification of these evolutionarily Moreover, the nomenclature of protists is more compli- and ecologically important organisms. cated than that of plants and animals, because more A first reason for this situation was and is a conser- than one nomenclatural code may apply due to their vation problem, since usual fixatives for animals such as photo- and/or heterotrophic members (a problem not ethanol or formalin are unsuited for their fragile cells. discussed in detail here; for literature see TAYLOR et al. Particularly soft-bodied heterotrophic protists have 1986; PATTERSON & LARSEN 1992; CORLISS 1990, 1992, been difficult to preserve until the beginning of the 1995; HAWKSWORTH et al. 1994). twentieth century, when in 1926 Bruno Maria KLEIN John CORLISS has been the most active promoter of discovered a dry silver nitrate method showing the sil- the importance of the ICZN and the principle of “typi- verline system of diverse protists, particularly ciliates. fication” therein, because “type” specimens, which con- Further steps revolutionising preservation and taxono- stitute an objective and reference material in the cre- my were wet silver nitrate, protargol and silver carbon- ate methods (Tab. 1) showing the arrangement of so- ation of new taxa, play a central role in taxonomy and matic and oral cilia (known as infraciliature or the sil- other fields of biology (CORLISS 1962b, 1963a, b, 1965, verline system), which are among the most important 1972, 1982, 1990, 1992, 1995; WEISER 1963). The rela- features in ciliate and partially flagellate alpha-taxono- tively short preparation tradition in protistology com- pared to that of invertebrates and even more vertebrates my (for review see FOISSNER 1991). Silver impregnation, morphogenetic studies and since the 1960s and 1970s is imposed by very rare catalogues, in fact only lists, ex- transmission and scanning electron microscopy, respec- isting on “type” material (CORLISS 1972a; SALLEY et al. tively roughly doubled the number of described species, 1978; COLE 1994; WIKTOR & RYDZEWSKI 1991; BAKKEN indicating that at least 50 % of the global free-living cil-.