Northwest Lichenologists

epithet termination

  • 01 Sep 2015 11:02 AM
    Message # 3505854

    “Erratum: Candelariella clarkii corrected to Candelariella clarkiae” in the most recent “Bryologist” set me to wondering if Placopsis lambii ought to be changed to Placopsis lambiae, given the most recent gender of Mackenzie Lamb.

    Last modified: 03 Sep 2015 12:25 PM | Richard Droker
  • 02 Sep 2015 8:18 AM
    Reply # 3507148 on 3505854
    Bruce McCune (Administrator)

    I. Mackenzie Lamb changed his name to Elke Mackenzie when he changed his/her gender, so I think Placopsis lambii is ok in its masculine ending. "Lamb" wasn't part of her name (though I suppose one could argue that as I. M. Lamb he was actually a she).



  • 02 Sep 2015 10:26 AM
    Reply # 3507355 on 3505854

    Thanks Bruce. Don't know if this is really pertinent to the forum, but here is another way for becoming eponymous, from an interesting and entertaining site, (for which a few lichens might be suggested), Curiosities of Biological Nomenclature:


    Malo kingi Gershwin, 2007 (jellyfish) Named after Robert King, and American tourist who died in Australia after being stung by it.


    Speaking of names:


    'Is there a better named band than British Lichen Society? They are an amazing band as well. The floorboards shake to the heavy, heavy vibrations of the bass guitar which sounds like it is being played through a cement mixer. There is also the most blatantly brilliant minimalist keyboards, which all Fall fans would love. There is also something of Mr M E Smith about the way the vocalist paces the stage, ranting, chanting and proclaiming. At the back the drummer in his suit keeps the Society on a respectable even keel' - Rob Nicholls, Evening Gazette 


    Can’t resist sharing more from Curiosities:


    Strigiphilus garylarsoni Clayton, ~1989 (owl louse) "I considered this an extreme honor. Besides, I knew no one was going to write and ask to name a new species of swan after me. You have to grab these opportunities when they come along." - Gary Larson


    Allobates niputidea Grant et al., 2007 (frog) In their paper describing the frog, the authors explain the specific epithet as "the name commonly applied by Colombian herpetologists to this and other small, brown frogs of unknown identity." What they do not say is that the word is actually a colloquial Spanish phrase, "ni puta idea", meaning, "[I have] no fucking idea." [Copeia 4: 844]


    Archelon Weiland, 1896 (Cretaceous turtle) This turtle was 15 feet long, 4500 lbs., possibly the largest chelonian ever. In the 1966 film "One Million Years B.C.," fur-bikini-clad Raquel Welch encounters a stop-motion giant turtle lumbering toward the sea. She alerts her fellow tribesmen by yelling "Archelon!", the animal's true scientific name and the only 'real' word said by any of the movie's cast. All of the rest of the cavepeople's language was completely made up.


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