Paleonet: Expressing uncertainty

Fri Dec 25 17:46:02 UTC 2020

The same to you and yours! - Roy

[cid:image003.jpg at 01D6DAB3.85960190]

From: Paleonet <paleonet-bounces+plotnick=uic.edu at paleonet.org> On Behalf Of ?????? ????????
Sent: Thursday, December 24, 2020 2:28 PM
To: PaleoNet <paleonet at paleonet.org>
Subject: Re: Paleonet: Expressing uncertainty

Dear Roy,

Very best wishes to you for the Christmas and a New Year!

Andrey

Вторник, 8 декабря 2020, 21:56 +03:00 от "Plotnick, Roy E" <plotnick at uic.edu<mailto:plotnick at uic.edu>>:

Thanks! This helps - and will look over Bengtson and Matthews papers.

Thanks again all - Roy

Roy E. Plotnick
Professor Emeritus

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois at Chicago
845 W. Taylor St.
Chicago, IL 60607
E-mail: plotnick at uic.edu<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fe.mail.ru%2Fcompose%2F%3Fmailto%3Dmailto%253aplotnick%40uic.edu&data=04%7C01%7Cplotnick%40uic.edu%7Cc2ed46fcf3ac4fde07b008d8a8a00b6f%7Ce202cd477a564baa99e3e3b71a7c77dd%7C0%7C0%7C637444752663730177%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=BNdyJM%2FUaPQlKJxM%2BXFg6B8vMNqJCwj4zbAVcqWMZSw%3D&reserved=0>

rm: 2454 Science and Engineering South
office phone: 312-996-2111
fax: 312-413-2279
lab phone: 312-355-1342
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Blog: https://medium.com/@plotnick<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2F%40plotnick&data=04%7C01%7Cplotnick%40uic.edu%7Cc2ed46fcf3ac4fde07b008d8a8a00b6f%7Ce202cd477a564baa99e3e3b71a7c77dd%7C0%7C0%7C637444752663730177%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=RywBG4a8qqrg%2FO%2FuiTcdXQuAi3d2TfP2wYjbfagYjI8%3D&reserved=0>

"The scientific celebrities, forgetting their molluscs and glacial periods, gossiped about art, while devoting themselves to oysters and ices with characteristic energy.." -Little Women, Louisa  May Alcott

From: Paleonet <paleonet-bounces+plotnick=uic.edu at paleonet.org</compose?To=paleonet%2dbounces%2bplotnick%3duic.edu at paleonet.org>> On Behalf Of Joseph Botting
Sent: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 10:00 AM
To: PaleoNet <paleonet at paleonet.org</compose?To=paleonet at paleonet.org>>
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<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fe.mail.ru%2Fcompose%2F%3Fmailto%3Dmailto%253aplotnick%40uic.edu&data=04%7C01%7Cplotnick%40uic.edu%7Cc2ed46fcf3ac4fde07b008d8a8a00b6f%7Ce202cd477a564baa99e3e3b71a7c77dd%7C0%7C0%7C637444752663740132%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=V%2Fg96OHwn9%2FqfOc3zDLwDGhmFXmwoFUTIhJbect8N4s%3D&reserved=0>> 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
Professor Emeritus

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciencessp.,
University of Illinois at Chicago
845 W. Taylor St.
Chicago, IL 60607
E-mail: plotnick at uic.edu<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fe.mail.ru%2Fcompose%2F%3Fmailto%3Dmailto%253aplotnick%40uic.edu&data=04%7C01%7Cplotnick%40uic.edu%7Cc2ed46fcf3ac4fde07b008d8a8a00b6f%7Ce202cd477a564baa99e3e3b71a7c77dd%7C0%7C0%7C637444752663740132%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=V%2Fg96OHwn9%2FqfOc3zDLwDGhmFXmwoFUTIhJbect8N4s%3D&reserved=0>

rm: 2454 Science and Engineering South
office phone: 312-996-2111
fax: 312-413-2279
lab phone: 312-355-1342
web page: http://www.uic.edu/~plotnick/plotnick.htm

Blog: https://medium.com/@plotnick<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2F%40plotnick&data=04%7C01%7Cplotnick%40uic.edu%7Cc2ed46fcf3ac4fde07b008d8a8a00b6f%7Ce202cd477a564baa99e3e3b71a7c77dd%7C0%7C0%7C637444752663750089%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=2zr51DX1VWXVp2j9KdzTyL09533%2Fsew%2FGpaN3O2rcAE%3D&reserved=0>

"The scientific celebrities, forgetting their molluscs and glacial periods, gossiped about art, while devoting themselves to oysters and ices with characteristic energy.." -Little Women, Louisa  May Alcott

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