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Natural Resources Canada > Earth Sciences Sector > Publishing Services > Editorial/Digital Design
GSC Guide to Authors Systematic descriptions
Systematic descriptions of genera and species should conform with accepted
international standards and should include, preferably in the following order:
- name of taxon, including authorship (date not necessary if in synonymy);
- plate and figure, and text-figure numbers;
- synonymy (see below);
- derivation of name (if a new taxon);
- if it is a new genus, designation of a type species (zoological), or a type
(botanical);
- if it is a new species, the explicit designation of a holotype and any other
type specimens used in the description of the species. This should immediately
follow the diagnosis or description according to recommendations of the International
Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN).
- diagnosis (for a new taxon) or description. The ICZN recommends a diagnosis
for a new taxon. Under the ICBN a new taxon may be accompanied by a description
or diagnosis. Authors are encouraged to use telegraph style (omitting verbs,
articles, complex sentences) in systematic descriptions. This saves a considerable
amount of space, and results in succinct descriptions.
- discussion or remarks, to include the means by which a new taxon is differentiated
from similar, previously named taxa;
- material: to include GSC type specimen numbers and GSC locality numbers.
For example, 'Hypotype GSC 65111 from GSC loc. C-60126'.
Several independent series of numbers exist for GSC paleontological collections,
and it is essential that they be used carefully and consistently to avoid
confusion for the reader and future workers. Some are designated by prefixes.
Specimens catalogued in the National Type Collection of Invertebrate and Plant
Fossils contain a prefix including the nature of the type specimen followed
by the abbreviation 'GSC' — e.g. 'Hypotype GSC 65111'. Numbers for type
specimens can be supplied by the Curator of the National Type Collection or
by the Chief Paleontologist.
The GSC locality numbers generally refer interchangeably to collecting localities
and to the samples that derive from those localities, and are preceded by
'GSC loc.' or 'GSC locality'. As a general rule, numbers with a 'C-' prefix
indicate samples curated by GSC Calgary, 'D-' for those in Dartmouth, and
'O-' for those curated recently in Ottawa, from GSC loc. O-102540 onward.
Numbers for collections and locality data can be supplied by the curator at
each regional office. Samples previously curated in Ottawa without prefixes
retain their originalnumbers and will never be larger than GSC loc. 102539.
Locality numbers curated in Ottawa will have the prefix 'GSC loc. O-' beginning
with the number 102540 (eg. GSC loc. O-102540). Numbers of samples curated
in Calgary always have the prefix C- and samples curated in Darmouth, the
prefix, D-. The discontinued numbers in the old plant locality series are
designated by the prefix 'GSC plant locality'. Publications should not include
the one or more '0's (zeros) that have been introduced prior to the digits
in order to satisfy requirements for certain digital data systems in the early
stages of development of a computerized curation system.
There is a great risk of confusion with these different numbering systems.
Please consider that clarity for the reader is paramount, even if a slightly
longer explanation is needed to ensure that clarity. The numbers published
should be those that appear on the specimen itself and in existing available
catalogues, unpublished notes, and publications, in order to prevent confusion
by future scientists and to provide a unique and consistent number throughout
the historical treatment of the specimens and the localities.
Publication of illustrations or designation of individual specimens requires
that they be placed into a valid type specimen repository, and it is an expectation
that Canadian specimens will be placed into a Canadian repository. The National
Type Collection of Invertebrate and Plant Fossils is most appropriate for
specimens treated in GSC publications. Under ICZN regulations, a repository
must be named for any new taxa.
- illustration: at least one illustration showing the essential characters
of the taxon, or a reference to a previously published illustration.
- According to the ICBN, the name of a new taxon must be accompanied by a
description or diagnosis, designation of holotype, and indication of repository.
In addition, from 1996 the name of a new fossil plant taxon must be accompanied
by a description or diagnosis in English or Latin (Art. 36.3). If this information
is not included, the name will be invalid.
A synonymy is appropriate and necessary for many systematic descriptions. An
adequate synonymy, published with the description of new material, is one of
the bases for the author's concept of the taxon. It should contain citations
verified by the author from original publications. Synonyms may be listed by
publication date or by taxon name. There are some differences between zoological
and botanical nomenclature and so examples are given for both sciences. Synonyms
may be preceded by qualifier abbreviations. Zoological synonyms may be preceded
by Richter notations (Matthews, 1973), which should be explained in the text
(e.g. vp* in the following examples). The following forms of synonymy
are recommended for use in Geological Survey of Canada publications:
|
1895 |
Lytoceras (Gaudryceras) politissimum KOSSMAT,
p. 128, Pl. 15, fig. 7a–c. |
| cf. |
1909 |
Lytoceras (Gaudryceras) politissimumKossmat. KILIAN
and REBOUL, p. 14, Pl. 1, fig. 7, 8. |
| aff. |
1979 |
Anagaudryceras politissimum(Kossmat). KENNEDY
and KLINGER, p. 154, Pl. 5, fig. 3, Pl. 7, fig. 2A–D, F. |
| vp* |
1985 |
Anagaudryceras politissimum (Kossmat). MATSUMOTO,
p. 23, Pl. 3, fig. 1–6, Pl. 5, fig. 5–8. |
or:
? Astropentagnathus irregularis MOSTLER, 1967, p. 298–300, Pl.
1, fig. 4.
Astropentagnathus irregularis Mostler. OVER and CHATTERTON, 1987, p.
10, Pl. 2, fig. 2, 3; cf. MÄNNIK and VIIRA, 1990, Pl. 17, fig. 24.
vp* Hadrognathus irregularis (Mostler). SCHÖNLAUB, 1971, p. 42,
43, Pl. 1, fig. 4, 11.
Either of the styles of zoological synonymy given above may contain annotations
in parentheses:
e element
Oistodus nevadensis ETHINGTON and SCHUMACHER, 1969, p. 467, 468, Pl.
68, fig. 1-4, Fig. 5C (part.).
Multi-element
Ansella nevadensis (Ethington and Schumacher). FÅHRÆUS
and HUNTER, 1985, p. 1175, 1176, Pl. 1, fig. 7, 10 (= e, b elements),
Pl. 2, fig. 11a,b, 13a,b, 14 (= b, e, c elements), Fig. 2a–c (=
e, c, b elements; includes synonymy); vp* BERGSTRÖM, 1990, p.
25, Pl. 1, fig. 11–14.
non Belodella sp. STOUGE in STOUGE and BOYCE, 1983, Pl. 6, fig. 2–8
(fig. 2, 3 = c, f elements of A. sinuosa; fig. 4–8 =
c, a, e, f, b elements of A. jemtlandica).
The botanical style immediately below lists the synonyms by publication date:
1932 Sporonites bireticulatus IBRAHIM in POTONIÉ
et al., p. 447, Pl. 14, fig. 1.
1933 Reticulati-sporites bireticulatus IBRAHIM, p. 35, Pl. 1,
fig. 1.
1934 Reticulata-sporites bireticulatus (Ibrahim) LOOSE, Pl. 7,
fig. 28.
1955 Reticulatisporites mediareticulatus auct. non Ibrahim. KNOX,
p. 323, Pl. 18, fig. 253.
| 1967 |
Dictyotriletes bireticulatus (Ibrahim) Potonié
& Kremp, 1955, emend. SMITH & BUTTERWORTH, p. 194, 195, Pl. 11, fig. 14,
15. |
Note that in this botanical example, a period is not placed between '(Ibrahim)'
and 'LOOSE' in the 1934 citation because this represents a recombination of
Ibrahim's species by Loose. If it were simply a citation of the Ibrahim species
by Loose, a period would follow the former author's name. This example also
illustrates the use of abbreviations (discussed elsewhere), and the importance
of citing the taxonomic name verbatim (e.g. including hyphens).
Under the ICBN, a misidentification should be followed by the words 'auct.
non' and then the name(s) of the original author(s) and full bibliographic reference
of the misapplied name. If the misidentified taxon is a synonym, its citation
should be included within the synonymy:
1955 Vallatisporites ciliaris (auct. non Luber) SULLIVAN,
p. 370, Pl. 59, fig. 14, 15, Fig. 3.
or:
1963 Klukisporites pseudoreticulatus auct. non Couper: SAAD,
p. 121, Pl. 34, fig. 31.
If it was formerly mistakenly regarded as a synonym, or could be regarded erroneously
as such because of its misapplied name, its citation should not be included
in the synonymy, but listed after it, preceded by 'non':
non 1955 Vallatisporites ciliaris (auct. non Luber) SULLIVAN,
p. 370, Pl. 59, fig. 14, 15, Fig. 3.
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