[Taxacom] The Evenhuis Nirvana

[Bob Mesibov]

After reading Neal Evenuis' commentary

Evenhuis, N.L. 2007. Helping Solve the “Other” Taxonomic Impediment: 
Completing the Eight Steps to Total Enlightenment and Taxonomic Nirvana. 
Zootaxa 1407: 3–12

I wondered if he was expecting a small explosion, possibly on TAXACOM. There 
could be indignation, maybe some heartfelt "What's to be done?" responses, 
and no doubt a few "If you think _that's_ bad, let me tell you about..." 
stories.

However, Neal's cautionary tale from Fiji seems to have a complicating 
factor, namely that the taxonomists involved were fly-in, once-only 
visitors.

Sure, there are many, many instances of successful taxonomic workings-up 
following one-off expeditions sent from country A to country B. There are 
also lots of cases where specialists from A have repeatedly visited B (e.g., 
an institution in A "adopts" B) over a long period, thus building up a 
fairly solid picture of the B biota.

It seems to me, though, that the best known regional biotas have been worked 
up over many years by specialists resident in the region. This is not only a 
good argument for training local taxonomists, it also hints at a 
little-recognised taxonomic impediment: doubt.

Doubt 1. My one-off visit only netted me one male of this possibly new 
species. I could describe it, but I really should look at a female first.
Doubt 2. My one-off visit yielded two very similar forms from spot X and 
spot Y, 20 km apart. If I could go back and sample in between, I can work 
out whether these are two allopatric or parapatric species, or just two 
variants on a cline.
Doubt 3. My one-off visit turned up a fascinating juvenile (or pre-flowering 
stage) that might be a new species. If I went back 6 months later, I might 
find the adult (or flowering stage).
Doubt 4. My one-off visit only bagged a horribly mangled specimen of a great 
new species. I need a better specimen (or specimens) for a description.

Other TAXACOMers will no doubt have similar stories, but here's mine. The 
Four Doubts have stopped me from publishing new species from the Australian 
state of Victoria, which is separated from my home state of Tasmania by 
several hundred kilometres of ocean. Over 35 years' residence in Tasmania, 
I've had the time to chip away at all Four Doubts with regard to the local 
fauna. If I could move to Victoria and live there for 10 years or so, the 
Victorian doubts would likewise disappear and the taxonomic papers would 
flow. I can't move, so Nirvana is unattainable. Such is life.
---
Dr Robert Mesibov
Honorary Research Associate, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
and School of Zoology, University of Tasmania
Home contact: PO Box 101, Penguin, Tasmania, Australia 7316
(03) 64371195; 61 3 64371195

Australian Millipedes Checklist
http://www.qvmag.tas.gov.au/zoology/millipedes/index.html
Tasmanian Multipedes
http://www.qvmag.tas.gov.au/zoology/multipedes/mulintro.html
Spatial data basics for Tasmania
http://www.utas.edu.au/spatial/locations/index.html
---