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Xaurus
Member Rosenbergia
Germany
1924 Posts |
 Posted - 27/02/2015 : 00:21:29
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Next case of excitement !
Last days I have checked some recent papers especially of our Russian colleagues, and I got really a big crisis in the understand of taxonomy and zoogeography.
They have described or revalidated many subspecies not only in Russia, also in Europe, for different common and widespread (European) species.
I don't know why they give available names for each population or sometimes simple individual variations, for me this proceeding is not correspondent with modern science, and I thought we have negotiate this period usual at the beginning of the 20th century.
I hope anybody can share my opinion, otherwise we can forget a serious cerambycidology in future.
Sad but true 
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Francesco
Forum Admin
Luxembourg
9454 Posts |
Posted - 27/02/2015 : 07:44:34
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Dear Xaurus,
the same occurred for some tribes: Monochamini, Phytoecini, Obereini, Exocentrini (sometimes even considered as Pogonocherini rather than Acanthocinini), Oemini, Methiini, now even Pelossini, all revalidated without serious or, sometimes, any reason.
I am denouncing this fact for some years.
When I ask about the characters, nobody knows them or indicates simple papers or even catalogs, where only 1-2 genera of an entire tribe show them (but where most of the genera were omitted).
In my opinion, the problems are:
- most of the magazines lack of competent referees or even do not have them at all
- "already famous" entomologists publish papers without any scientific criteria (Breuning's effect)
- some "entomologists" publish papers very quickly and with insufficient data in order to accumulate a number as big as possible of publications or novelties, sometimes proposing stunning taxonomic or systematic changes (Paris Hilton's effect)
- these categories of "entomologists" have begun to publish in personal magazines, which lack of external referees or allow quick publications.
Crisis of values and principles typical of late centuries or of decadent empires... History will judge them.  |
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africaone
Member Purpuricenus
Belgium
484 Posts |
Posted - 27/02/2015 : 13:07:24
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nice speach Francesco !
but not only Russians, not only "personal" revues !
Note that it is not the role of revues to judge the quality of taxonomic level choices in a paper ! An author is reponsible of his choices and judgement is made by time and community.
The role of the revues is to respect some rules and criters of publication.
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s'il n'y pas de solution c'est qu'il n'y a pas de problème ! akuna matata .... |
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Xaurus
Member Rosenbergia
Germany
1924 Posts |
Posted - 27/02/2015 : 23:38:38
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Thanks Francesco, for your explicit and clear sentences to this important topic.
You are right there are problems with private journals and not enough critical reviewers, and of course to less longhorn beetles specialist for this really large family.
From my colleagues I hear the same problems too, especially in Carabidae or some waterbeetles groups. Unfortunately, there are institutional staffs their salary depend from the number of publications.
I hope we find understand and support in our reasonable community. |
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crisis in cerambycidae
