Re: On naming taxa

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/25/01 1:14:53 AM EST, KiernanCR@aol.com writes:

<< No, it shouldn't have. The species was clearly a nomen dubium and adding 
 another name to the literature only complicated the problem. Noting that it 
 was, in fact, a nomen dubium, was all that was required. >>

The species Iguanodon exogyrarum was made the type species of the new genus 
Procerosaurus by Fritsch in 1905. Procerosaurus, however, is preoccupied by 
Procerosaurus Von Huene 1902, and this situation cannot stand according to 
ICZN rules. A suitable genus >must< be created or substituted for the 
preoccupied genus, and Iguanodon is not suitable. Whether the type species is 
a nomen dubium is not a >nomenclatural< problem, which the generic name 
Ponerosteus corrects.

The genus Procerosaurus Fritsch 1905 had been preoccupied for 95 years and 
nobody did anything about it until I came along. Whether or not you think 
this is a contribution is not my business.