LETTERS CREDIT: GALEN ROWELL/CORBIS More than 20,000 species are illustrated in the 9000 odd plates of line drawings. FRPS is being entered into a database and will be made accessible through the Internet by the C HINA IS HOME TO MORE THAN 31,000 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of species of vascular plants, more than Sciences, Beijing. any country except Brazil and Colombia. Although FRPS provides an important More than half of Chinese step forward for the knowlvascular plant species edge of Chinese plants, it is are found nowhere else, based on a relatively short including many, such as period of study by the Ginkgo and Metasequoia, nation’s botanists. Modern which were once widetaxonomic research by spread around the NorthChinese botanists was not ern Hemisphere, but now begun until 1916 (1), with sur vive only in China. earlier studies carried out Numerous noted botanical mainly by European and explorers and collectors American scientists. As a from Europe, America, result, much of the imporand China contributed tant reference material is valuable material to the held by European and herbaria of leading botaniAmerican institutions and cal institutions and greatly was not always easily enriched the gardens of accessible to Chinese the world through their botanists, particularly discoveries. The compleduring the “Cultural Retion by Chinese botanists volution.” The material that of the Flora Republicae Chinese botanists have Popularis Sinicae (FRPS), had available for study is which outlines the charmainly based on that acteristics of the country’s assembled within China, huge flora, is an event of most of it since 1949. great significance; no flora Consequently, FRPS has of comparable size has ever certain deficiencies. been completed. Because of these probThis publication of this lems, an inter national work was formally begun Rhododendrons in the Kama collaborative project, the in 1958, but it was initi- Valley, or Valley of the Flowers, Flora of China project, ated in the 1930s by Hu east of Mount Everest in Tibet was organized to produce Xiansu (better known as Autonomous Region, China. a collaborative, revised H. H. Hu) (1). Work on English edition of FRPS. the flora virtually ceased This project involves during the chaotic “Proletarian Cultural many Chinese and non-Chinese taxonoRevolution” (1966–76). After 1978, mists from throughout the world and is Chinese botanists resumed and greatly supported by various funding agencies in accelerated their effor ts, with major China and the United States, including the financial support from the National Natural National Natural Science Foundation of Science Foundation of China, the Chinese China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Academy of Sciences, and the Ministry of and the U.S. National Science Foundation, Science and Technology. Finally, after 45 as well as the C.V. Starr, Kadoorie, and years of extraordinary effort by 312 Chinese Stanley Smith foundations. Ten volumes botanists representing four generations, of text and ten volumes of accompanying the Flora has been completed. It consists of illustrations have been published to date 126 books, which constitute 80 volumes; it (2). The project will ultimately result in includes 31,141 species, 3407 genera, and the publication of 25 volumes of text and 300 families of vascular plants. The final part 25 volumes of illustrations and is expected was published in October 2004. The Flora to be completed by 2010. includes all native and naturalized plant By completing FRPS, Chinese botanists species, as well as China’s economically have made a great contribution to the underimportant cultivated plants, such as crops, standing of the world’s plants and have laid a and plants that are grown in plantations. more secure foundation for their conservawww.sciencemag.org SCIENCE VOL 309 Published by AAAS tion and sustainable use. Given the rapid development of China’s economy and the consequent pressures on natural resources, this information is of vital importance. It is also hoped that the Flora may also present a useful model for botanists from other nations that are in the process of developing knowledge about their plant resources and encountering pressures similar to those felt in China. QIN-ER YANG,1 GUANGHUA ZHU,2 DEYUAN HONG,1 ZHENGYI WU,3 PETER H. RAVEN2 1Laboratory of Systematic & Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China. 2Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO 63166, USA. 3Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204, China. References and Notes Downloaded from www.sciencemag.org on April 25, 2009 World’s Largest Flora Completed 1. W. J. Haas, Arnoldia 48, 9 (1988). 2. The volumes are available online at http://flora.huh. harvard.edu/china/ and www.mobot.org/MOBOT/ Research/asiaprojects.shtml. 3. We thank Xingguo Han, director of the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for his helpful discussion. What Constitutes a Proper Description? IN THEIR REPORT “THE HIGHLAND MANGABEY Lophocebus kipunji: a new species of African monkey” (20 May, p. 1161), T. Jones et al. attempt to describe a distinctive, new species of mangabey from Tanzania. The description of the new mangabey is based on two photographs, one of an adult male designated as the holotype, and one of unknown sex designated as a paratype. No voucher material was obtained, and the authors state, “The number of individuals in each of the two populations of this species is undoubtedly very small; no live individual should be collected at this time to serve as the holotype.” Contrary to the statements in the published description, the photographs do not function as name-bearing types (1). Thus, Lophocebus kipunji Ehart, Butynski, Jones, and Davenport is not an available name and has no formal standing in zoology. The photographs are not valid substitutes for a type specimen. The function of a type specimen in nomenclature is to provide an objective basis for the application of a species-group name. Jones and colleagues are encouraged to acquire a specimen, or part(s) thereof, and prepare a new description of this, as yet, undescribed species. ROBERT M. TIMM,1 ROB ROY RAMEY II,2 AND THE NOMENCLATURE COMMITTEE OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAMMALOGISTS 30 SEPTEMBER 2005 2163 LETTERS of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Research Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA. 2Department of Zoology, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard, Denver, CO 80205, USA. Reference 1. International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN, London, ed. 4, 1999). “Article 16.4. Species–group names: fixation of namebearing types to be explicit. Every new specific and subspecific name published after 1999,… must be accompanied in the original publication[:] 16.4.1. by the explicit fixation of a holotype, or syntypes for the nominal taxon…, and, 16.4.2 where the holotypes or syntypes are extant specimens, by a statement of intent that they will be (or are) deposited in a collection and a statement indicating the name and location of that collection. (see Recommendation 16C).” THE DISCOVERY OF A NEW SPECIES OF MONKEY is very important and heartening to preservationists everywhere (“The highland mangabey Lophocebus kipunji: a new species of African monkey,” T. Jones et al., Reports, 20 May, p. 1161). Unfortunately, as a taxonomic description, the Report leaves much to be desired and seems destined to sow confusion in future synonymies. There are no hard and fast rules for the protocol of a species description, but certain features should be adhered to. It is usual to start with a brief taxonomic hierarchy, placing 2164 the new taxon in the set of animals; thus, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species name (i.e., the proposed Linnaean binomial), “Sp. Nov.,” “New Sp.,” or some designation clearly marking the name as new. “Ehardt et al.” give the citation for the new species as “Ehardt, Butynski, Jones and Davenport,” that is, four of the seven authors of the paper. The purpose of the citation is to identify the paper, not to assign credit, and all of the authors should be cited. This paper has not properly designated a type specimen. There is no provision under the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (1) for designating a photograph as a type. The authors were understandably reluctant to collect a specimen of this rare species, but the proper course of action would have been to announce the discovery of the new species, publishing all of the excellent descriptive material and their quite convincing case for calling it new, without, however, naming it. They have published a nomen nudum, a name that, because it is not backed by a type specimen, has no standing under the Code and that other taxonomic workers are free to ignore. Moreover, they rendered their name (kipunji) unavailable under the rules, meaning that not only is their entirely appropriate 30 SEPTEMBER 2005 VOL 309 SCIENCE Published by AAAS name, Lophocebus kipunji, not established, but that nobody can ever establish it. STUART O. LANDRY Professor Emeritus of Biology, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY 13902–6000, USA. Reference 1. International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN, London, ed. 4, 1999). Response LANDRY AND TIMM ET AL. SHOW A LAUDABLE concern about descriptions of new animal species that either are not, or appear not to be, compliant with the currently applicable International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (1). The aims of the Code, and of the Commission responsible for its periodic revision and implementation (ICZN), have always been to minimize chaos in animal nomenclature, hence ICZN’s Mission Statement: “achieving stability and sense in the scientific naming of animals.” The destabilizing effect of publishing non–Code-compliant descriptions of new animal taxa is as old as the Code itself. Perhaps the most recent example is the invalid description of the fossil duck Vegavis iaai (2). Because no description for the generic name was provided, the binominal proposed for an extremely important www.sciencemag.org Downloaded from www.sciencemag.org on April 25, 2009 1Department that many newly described taxa will be threatened (L. kipunji will be designated as “critically endangered” in the IUCN Red List). Dead animal specimens should not be understood to be essential to the process of establishing new taxa. In such cases, supplementation with evidence such as sonograms and oscillograms of speciesspecif ic vocalizations, and molecular information (now readily derived from noninvasive samples, e.g., hair, urine, and feces) may contribute to validation. It should also be more widely recognized that establishing the taxonomic rank of new taxa and ensuring the availability of names are critical to the conservation listings (regional, national, and international) that assist in prioritizing, initiating, and supporting conservation efforts. Even the perception of the necessity for physical specimens under the Code could hamper and delay the very processes that determine whether newly discovered taxa survive. The well-intentioned reactions of Landry and Timm et al. show that the current Code is open to different interpretations on the subject of type specimens (compare Articles 16.4.2 and 73.1.4 at www.iczn.org/iczn/index.jsp). The permissiveness of the Code in allowing illustrations of type specimens to make new AAAS Responds to Hurricane Katrina AAAS and its journal Science share the deep sense of loss caused by Hurricane Katrina. Donate and Find Resources Visit our online brokering system if you are a scientist, engineer, or teacher in need of resources, or if you have resources to share. www.aaas.org/ katrina Find Science Content Read freely accessible Science articles related to hurricanes, coastal disasters, and disaster policy. www.sciencemag.org/ sciext/ katrina www.sciencemag.org SCIENCE VOL 309 Published by AAAS 30 SEPTEMBER 2005 2165 Downloaded from www.sciencemag.org on April 25, 2009 CREDIT: T. R. B. DAVENPORT LETTERS fossil is invalid, or ened animals or those for “unavailable” in the whom the collection of Code’s terminology. specimens is otherwise By contrast, Jones impractical, impossible, et al. undertook a series or unethical. This situaof consultations with tion has been dealt with the ICZN Secretariat in detail by Wakehamand with several eminent Dawson et al. (3). taxonomists to ensure The description of L. that their description of kipunji is also Code-comthe highland mangabey pliant in all other respects, Lophocebus kipunji and the objections raised was Code-compliant. by Landry are unsupAlthough under Article ported. Although often the 16.4.2, it is stated that case, it is not required, nor authors of new taxa must always appropriate, that publish a statement of This photo, of an adult male high- authorship of a publication intent that extant types land mangabey Lophocebus kipunji, describing a new taxon and will be deposited in a was designated by Jones et al. as the its discovery be the same collection, Article 73.1.4 holotype. as the authorship of the provides an opportunity name assigned under the for the description of new taxa without the Code. For L. kipunji, the authorship of the necessity of providing dead type specimens: name (Ehardt, Butynski, Jones, and “Designation of an illustration of a single Davenport) specifically designates the authorspecimen as a holotype is to be treated as ity assigning the name of the new species. designation of the specimen illustrated; the The allowance under the Code for desigfact that the specimen no longer exists or nation of surviving specimens as holotypes cannot be traced does not of itself invalidate needs to be more widely recognized, given the designation.” The Article, as formulated, contemporary concerns for the conservathereby permits the description of threat- tion of threatened species. There is no doubt LETTERS December 27, 2005– Oaxaca January 2, 2006 Explore the rich cultural heritage from Mexico City to Oaxaca. Visit fascinating archaeological sites. $2,495 + air India Wildlife Safari January 21–February 5, 2006 A magnificent look at the exquisite antiquities and national parks of India, from the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort & Khajuraho Temples to tigers and Sarus cranes! $3,595 + air. Alaska Aurora Borealis March 2-8, 2006 Discover Alaska in winter including 20,320-ft Mt. McKinley. See ice sculptures in Fairbanks and the Aurora Borealis with lectures at the Geophysical Institute. $2,495 + air. Turkey Eclipse Yacht Adventure March 21–April 1, 2006 Explore Greek and Roman sites from Dalaman to Antalya. See the Total Solar Eclipse March 29. $4,995 + air. China Feathered Dinosaur March 18–April 5, 2006 Explore highlights of Beijing, Xian and cruise the Yangtze River, plus the world’s finest fossil sites of feathered dinosaurs, the species at the transition from reptile to bird. $5,990 + air. Aegean Odyssey May 24–June 7, 2006 Our classic adventure to explore the history of Western Civilization in Athens, Delphi, Delos, Santorini, & Knossos. $3,695 plus 2-for-1 air + tax from JFK. Call for trip brochures & the Expedition Calendar (800) 252-4910 17050 Montebello Road Cupertino, California 95014 of cumulative scientific impact, another measure, call it c, would also be interesting: the total number of papers from that researcher cited more than once by other research groups in the most recent calendar year. This alternative parameter c would be a much better measure of current research impact. ANDREW POLASZEK,1 PETER GRUBB,2 COLIN GROVES,3 CAROLYN L. EHARDT,4 THOMAS M. BUTYNSKI5 1Executive Secretary, International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, c/o Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD UK. 235 Downhills Park Road, London N17 6PE, UK. 3School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Building 14, Australian National University, Canberra 0200, Australia. 4Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602–1619, USA. 5Conservation International, Eastern Africa Regional Program, Post Office Box 68200, City Square 00200, Nairobi, Kenya. References News Focus: “A ‘Robin Hood’ declares war on lucrative U.S. patents” by E. Kintisch (26 Aug., p. 1319). The story incorrectly identified the name and scope of the organization Patients not Patents. The group focuses on drug patents. 1. International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN, London, ed. 4, 1999), pp. 1–306. 2. J.A. Clarke, C. P.Tambussi, J. I. Noriega, G. M. Erickson, R. A. Ketcham, Nature 433, 305 (2005). 3. A. Wakeham-Dawson, S. Morris, P. Tubbs, M. L. Dalebout, C. S. Baker, Bull. Zool. Nomenclat. 59 (no. 4), 282 (2002). Quantifying Publication Impact THE RANDOM SAMPLES ITEM “IMPACT FACtor” (19 Aug., p. 1181) noted the proposal by Jorge Hirsch of the University of California, San Diego (1) that the total scientific output of a researcher can be judged by h, the largest number such that the researcher has at least h papers with h citations. Although this is indeed an indication Letters to the Editor Letters (~300 words) discuss material published in Science in the previous 6 months or issues of general interest. They can be submitted through the Web (www.submit2science.org) or by regular mail (1200 New York Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA). Letters are not acknowledged upon receipt, nor are authors generally consulted before publication. Whether published in full or in part, letters are subject to editing for clarity and space. DOUGLASS F. TABER Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA. E-mail: taberdf@udel.edu Reference 1. J. E. Hirsch, preprint available at www.arxiv.org/abs/ physics/0508025. CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS Special Section on the Great Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake:Viewpoint: “A flying start, then a slow slip” by R. Bilham (20 May, p. 1126). The mention of the Richter scale in the second sentence of the second paragraph on page 1126 was incorrect.All magnitudes cited should be moment magnitude Mw, a scale that is defined by total energy release. The second sentence of the first paragraph on page 1126 incorrectly gave the energy equivalents of the earthquake. A magnitude of Mw = 9.15 corresponds to 3.35 × 1018 J, or 0.8 gigatons of TNT.This is equivalent to 11 days of total U.S. energy consumption, assuming a 2005 rate of 101 × 1015 British thermal units (≈10 20 J) (see www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/ index.html). However, although estimates of Mw range up to 9.3, the most reliable seismic energy release estimate is 1.1 × 1018 J, corresponding to ≈0.25 gigatons of TNT. Reports: “Supramolecular assembly of amelogenin nanospheres into birefringent microribbons” by C. Du et al. (4 Mar., p. 1450). In this Report on amelogenin nanosphere assemblies and their tendency to form microribbon structures, the authors included a diffraction pattern that was attributed to these microribbons (Fig. 1F and Table S2). Elia Beniash (Forsyth Institute, Boston) subsequently informed the authors that the diffraction pattern and the dspacings reported are analogous to those of cellulose fibers, and analysis of one of the microribbons by Beniash confirmed the presence of cellulose.The authors therefore conclude that the diffraction reported in Fig. 1F belongs to a cellulose contaminant fiber and not to an amelogenin microribbon. The authors have carried out new crystallization and characterization experiments of amelogenin birefringent microribbons that were free of contamination. The dimensions of the microribbons appear to be smaller than those indicated in the Report, with a wider distribution in length and width. The shape is not regular, although a ribbonlike morphology (similar to that of cellulose) is always preserved. These amelogenin microribbons, although birefringent, show either no or a very weak x-ray diffraction pattern. This suggests the presence of a preferential orientation in the nanosphere assembly, without any regular periodicity. The authors apologize for these errors and any inconvenience they may have caused. Email: AAASinfo@betchartexpeditions.com 30 SEPTEMBER 2005 Published by AAAS VOL 309 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org Downloaded from www.sciencemag.org on April 25, 2009 We invite you to travel with AAAS in the coming year. You will discover excellent itineraries and leaders, and congenial groups of likeminded travelers who share a love of learning and discovery. names available, despite the subsequent loss or return to the wild of those types, is open to potential abuse. An obvious modest step forward would be to introduce a registration system for animal names. This would (i) alert zoologists to the appearance of newly described taxa and (ii) ensure that the names are Code-compliant and available. Our comments support the preparation of a new edition of the Code—one that will prevent potential misinterpretations and perhaps encompass an open-access registration system. Such an effort, embracing the principle of bioinformatics, should unite all biologists involved in biodiversity conservation, systematics, evolutionary ecology, molecular biology, and related disciplines.