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Commentary

Nature 446, 261-262 (15 March 2007) | doi:10.1038/446261a; Published online 14 March 2007

Spreading the word

Sandra Knapp1, Andrew Polaszek2 & Mark Watson3

  1. Sandra Knapp is in the Department of Botany, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
  2. Andrew Polaszek is at the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
  3. Mark Watson is at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20a Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR, UK.

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Keeping track of new species names is a growing challenge for modern taxonomists. Sandra Knapp, Andrew Polaszek and Mark Watson make the case for electronic publication of scientific names.

When Carl Linnaeus was born in 1707, plants and animals were not given 'scientific' Latin names. Instead they were referred to by 'phrase names' consisting of complete descriptions in Latin, sometimes running into several paragraphs.

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