Zygoidy, a new nomenclatural concept

Abstract

In zoological taxonomy, unambiguous and universal designation of a given taxon at a given rank in a given classification requires to establish its valid nomen and the correct spelling of the latter. Consequently, a need to resolve the situations of conflict that may exist between available nomina and spellings arises. These situations of nomenclatural conflict are here designated as zygoidy. They are of three kinds: zygonymy (conflicts of omonymy or synonymy between nomina for validity), zygography (conflicts of parography between spellings for correctness) and zygophory (conflicts of airetophory between onomatophore designations for validity). The resolution of these conflicts relies on several basic Principles already formulated in the Code (the Principles of Homonymy, Priority and “First-Reviser”, here renamed “Airesy”), as well as additional ones not yet recognized in this text: the Principles of Zygoidy, Proedry, Nomography and Sozoidy. A detailed analysis of these ituations is provided. It allows to identify in which cases and under which conditions these Principles apply. This omplete inventory of possible situations and solutions will be of great usefulness for a forecoming utomatisation and computerization of the Rules of the Code in forthcoming databases and Web applications.