Suppose a team of biologists discover and describe a species of fish in Mexico.They named it Paraclinus douglasadamsi in a paper published in 2015.A few years later another biologist reveals that the same name had been used to describe a species of fish found in the Bahamas in a paper published in 2006.This leads to a controversy among fish biologists about the species names.How should this controversy be resolved according to regular biological practice?
A) The Mexican species should retain the name Paraclinus douglasadamsi because no one objected immediately. The species from the Bahamas should be given a new name.
B) The Bahamas species should retain the name Paraclinus douglasadamsi because it was described first. The species from Mexico should be given a new name.
C) The Bahamas species should retain the name Paraclinus douglasadamsi because "B" comes before "M" in the alphabet. The species from Mexico should be given a new name.
D) Both species should be given new names.
E) A coin should be flipped.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The principle of priority in zoological nomenclature dictates that the first published name for a species has precedence. Therefore, the Bahamas species, described in 2006, should retain the name Paraclinus douglasadamsi, and the Mexican species, described later in 2015, should be renamed.

Suppose a Team of Biologists Discover and Describe a Species