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Re: TLAs

Hey, Joe,

I wouldn't dream of touching the TLAs if only because there are so many of
them, and I don't much care for their use.  No, I was thinking about the
list of abbreviations at the aka site for genera, like Fp. for
fundulopanchax, N. for nothos, Cyno. for Cynolebias,etc.  Mostly there are
some new genera like Chromaphyosemion, Scriptaphyosemion, Nematolebias,
Simpsonichthys, etc, that don't have abbreviations listed there.  We sort
of started kicking around ideas but didn't get to far.  I think we should
have abbreviations that are unambiguous.  For example, N. for notho should
go (unless it's clear from context) but should be Nth.  or Noth. so that
it's clear that its *not* Nematolebias being referred to.  Similarly, C.
for cynolebias, R for Rivulus (Does Rachovia still exist?),  and perhaps A.
for Aphyosemion should go since * A. karpawilsoni * could be an Aphanius,
Aplocheilus, Aplocheilichtys, etc. if you didn't already know.  This is
just a thought, really, but probably the best method is just to wing it and
it'll either be clear from context or confusion will ensue.  Trying to
establish a set of abbreviations is like most standard setting excercises
completely futile, regardless of how much sense or how much benefit there
might be from having one.

Doug

>Doug,
>If you mean you'll compile a list of three letter codes already in use,
>fine.  If you mean that you are going to compile and fill in the missing
>blanks, I would only caution you that you may be destined to cause more
>confusion than clarification.  Scheel has a list of codes in his book.  To
>my knowledge this was the begining of the three letter codes.  Then about
>3-4 years ago as Richard Sexton was working on his photos of killies he made
>up codes for those species that were not in Scheel's list.  About the same
>time and since, some study groups have taken to assigning codes to species
>in their field of study that were named after Scheel.  This further points
>out the folly of using TLAs.  There is no central authority that can modify
>and keep up to date on changes.  Perhaps it would be best for all of us to
>join Wright's "Stomp out TLAs" Club.
>
>Joe Weber
>
>Be nice to your kids.
>They are going to choose your nursing home.
>
>>It would at least be good if we had an updated set of generic
>>abbreviations, to speed up "Fundulopanchax" or "Scriptaphyosemion"  I'll
>>get right on it  :-)  Then I'll post them and you guys can pick it apart
>>then.
>>
>
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Doug Karpa-Wilson
Department of Biology
Indiana University
Jordan Hall
1001 E. 3rd St.
Bloomington, IN 47405


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