Use of Variations in Natural Nitrogen Isotope Abundance for Environmental Studies: A Questionable Approach

TLDR: The comments of the Commissioners as published show a deep schism within the Commission on the validity of the actions taken on this Declaration, and it is unfortunate that Mayr and his colleagues have not made this schism clear in their statement because it will be read and acted upon by many who have no access to the Declaration itself.

Abstract: publication. Several of the Commissioners objected to the inclusion of this vote with the Declaration because they did not consider it official, and this presumably forms the basis for the statement in Mayr et al. (1) concerning the vote. However, the issue was submitted a second time to the Commission, asking if they approved the publication of the vote, and the ballot on this question was 17 to 5 in favor. The comments of the Commissioners as published show a deep schism within the Commission on the validity of the actions taken on this Declaration, and we consider it unfortunate that Mayr and his colleagues have not made this schism clear in their statement because it will be read and acted upon by many who have no access to the Declaration itself. If the opinions of the majority of the Commissioners are to be accepted, one cannot accept the minority opinion expressed by Mayr et al. Mayr et al. state, as if 'a fait accompli, that the Commission cannot repeal Art. 23(b). However, in the history following Declaration 43, it is clear that the legal adviser to the Commission, the Secretary, and some Commissioners do believe that the Commission has the authority to delete or suspend parts of the Code, such as Art. 23(b). The important question for the working taxonomist is, if the Commission does have this authority, did they in fact repeal or suspend Art. 23(b). As defined by Art. 78 of the Code, a Declaration is a provisional amendment to the Code. It is to be issued by the Commission in a case that \"involves a situation that is not properly or completely covered by the Code,\" and this Declaration remains in force until the next succeeding Congress ratifies or rejects it. We believe that the Commission did suspend Art. 23(b) until the next International Congress of Zoology this summer and that zoologists who are seeking to preserve well-established names must apply to the Commission to preserve them under the plenary powers. BRUCE B. COLLETTE DANIEL M. COHEN National Marine Fisheries Service, Systematics Laboratory, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D. C. 20560 JAMES A. PETERS Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D. C. 20560