How to record a Parenthetic Author
In these two scientific names:
- Xus bus (Brown) Wood - which is formulated according to the rules of the ICBN International Code of Botanical Nomenclature.
- Xus bus (Brown 2002) - which is formulated according to the rules of the ICZN International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.
the name in parentheses (Brown) is the author of the original species name. This bracketed name - the parenthetic author - comes about when the species epithet in a scientific name is combined with a different genus. This is a specialised form of synonymisation.
In 2002 Brown wrote a paper identifying a new zoological species, Aus bus. The scientific name is:
Aus bus Brown, 2002.
In 2004 Wood publishes a paper that argues that while the species is valid it belongs in a different genus, Xus. According to the rules of the ICZN, the new scientific name is:
Xus bus (Brown, 2002)
The use of parentheses indicate that the species bus was not originally described in the genus Xus and acknowledges the author of the original name.
Botanists take this a bit further and include the author who moved the name (but not the dates). According to the rules of the ICBN, the original scientific name would be:
Aus bus Brown
and the re-combined scientific name would be:
Xus bus (Brown) Wood
Technically, Aus bus and Xus bus are synonyms (and they are recognised as synonyms in EMu as we'll see when we check the Homotypics tab) but it is more important to identify them as combinations, hence the inclusion of the name of the original Name Author The author responsible for writing the formal description of a species (i.e. specifying a Taxonomic classification for the species). in parentheses.
In 2002 Brown published a paper identifying a new botanical species, Aus bus Brown:
In 2004 Wood publishes a paper that argues that while the species is valid it belongs in a different genus, Xus.
- First we add a record for Xus bus:
- Add the genus and species.
- Set Currently Accepted?: (Currently Accepted Name) to Yes.
- Record the Citation on the Citations tab and set the Primary Citation: (Details) option to Yes.
- Set Name authors same as citation authors?: (Name Authors) on the Authors tab to Yes:
When a scientific name is recombined it is necessary to identify the currently accepted name and to associate the synonymous names in order to maintain a complete name history.
- Search for the Aus bus record.
- Select No from Currently Accepted? (Currently Accepted Name) on the Classification tab.
- Enter
Xus bus
in Current Name: (Currently Accepted name) and click Attach beside the field (or press the TAB key).A message displays indicating that Aus bus Brown is to become a heterotypic synonym of Xus bus Wood:
- Click OK to continue.
Note: Aus bus is actually a homotypic synonym of Xus bus, but for the moment EMu first registers that there is a synonymous relationship between the two names. We make it a homotypic synonym from Step 8 onwards.
The current name for Aus bus Brown is now indicated as Xus bus Wood.
- Save the record:
- In the Xus bus record, select the Primary Citation tab.
- Select No from the Is Basionym?: (Basionym) drop list.
Note: In Zoology, you would select from the Is Original Name?: (Original Name) drop list.
- Enter
Aus bus Brown
in Basionym Is: (Basionym) and click Attach (or press the TAB key).A message displays indicating that Aus bus Brown will become a homotypic synonym of Xus bus Wood:
- Click OK to continue and save the record.
- Select the Authors Tab.
Wood is listed as the Name Author The author responsible for writing the formal description of a species (i.e. specifying a Taxonomic classification for the species). for Xus bus and because Brown was listed in the Aus bus record as the original name author, he is identified here as the original author of the species name in Parenthetic Authors.
If Brown was not listed as the original author, you would attach Brown's Parties record in the Parenthetic Authors field and select Author from the Role: (Parenthetic Author) Lookup List.
- In the Year: (Parenthetic Authors) field enter the year in which the original scientific name (Aus bus) was published (2002 in this example):
- Save the record.
The scientific name is generated using the parenthetic author name according to the rules of ICBN International Code of Botanical Nomenclature.:
The new scientific name for Xus bus - Xus bus (Brown) Wood - indicates that the species name bus was not originally combined with Xus, that the author of the original name was Brown, and that Wood is the author of the current name.
Aus bus Brown and Xus bus (Brown) Wood are now synonyms of each other.If we check the Aus bus Brown Homotypics tabs, we discover that Xus bus (Brown) Wood is identified as a Combination synonym:
And on the Homotypics tabs of Xus bus (Brown) Wood, Aus bus Brown is listed as a Combination synonym: