Paleonet: Expressing uncertainty

Tue Dec 8 18:19:47 UTC 2020

Thanks- this is the one I remember - my copy is somewhere in my inaccessible office. - Roy

From: Paleonet <paleonet-bounces+plotnick=uic.edu at paleonet.org> On Behalf Of Graham E Budd
Sent: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 10:21 AM
To: PaleoNet <paleonet at paleonet.org>
Subject: Re: Paleonet: Expressing uncertainty

This is the classic work!

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260135569_Open_nomenclature<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Fpublication%2F260135569_Open_nomenclature&data=04%7C01%7Cplotnick%40uic.edu%7C3f9b405dadd7484851cf08d89b96255d%7Ce202cd477a564baa99e3e3b71a7c77dd%7C0%7C1%7C637430416473030521%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=vPrp4b0%2FLEKIo4anOa0%2BiW9vXn5zzZJMDcRBY%2FtgSi4%3D&reserved=0>

Regards

Graham

________________________________
From: Paleonet <paleonet-bounces+graham.budd=pal.uu.se at paleonet.org<mailto:paleonet-bounces+graham.budd=pal.uu.se at paleonet.org>> on behalf of Joseph Botting <acutipuerilis at yahoo.co.uk<mailto:acutipuerilis at yahoo.co.uk>>
Sent: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 5:00:15 PM
To: PaleoNet
Subject: Re: Paleonet: Expressing uncertainty

I'd put it after the species, Roy, if using a question mark... but I'd actually prefer to say Genus cf. species.

My understanding of the best practice is:
Genus? species: definitely that species, but generic assignment is questionable.
Genus species?: may be this species, but there's doubt (not very specific)
Genus cf. species: appears to be this species, but can't be categorical (usually because diagnostic features are not preserved)
Genus aff. species: specimen is not this species... but a closely related one.
Genus sp.: not definable at species level, but has the diagnostic characters of the genus.
Genus? sp.: not sure on the species, but it may be in this genus.
Group indet.: an unidentified or unidentifiable member of a broader group
[Group] incertae sedis: of uncertain systematic interpretation, either within a higher group, or not. Genus and species are then normally defined under the incertae sedis higher taxonomy.

Opinions may vary, but this has served me well... although if others have different usage, this would be a good time to compare notes!
All the best,
Joe

On Tuesday, 8 December 2020, 15:48:59 GMT, Plotnick, Roy E <plotnick at uic.edu<mailto:plotnick at uic.edu>> wrote:

I have a specimen from a new locality that I can with some, but not complete certainty, assign to an existing species. In the Systematic Paleontology section of the paper, what is the best way to formally express this uncertainty?  Where does the "?" go?

While we are it , what is the current best practice for describing uncertainty of identification or taxonomic placement; i.e., what is the modern usage of .aff, .cf, ?, sp., incertae sedis, and so on.  Is there a standard reference on usage?

Thanks - Roy

Roy E. Plotnick
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