Is Drosophila melanogaster, one of science’s favorite creatures, about to lose its name? Rex Dalton at Nature has the story of this taxonomic imbroglio.
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April 7th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
One good thing that might come of the name change is that people would refer to it using the accepted usage for all other species: Genus species on first reference, and then G. species.
As it is now, except when they’re comparing it to other flies in the same genus, scientists very often refer to what should be D. melanogaster as simply Drosophila.
April 7th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Well, at least its not only paleontologists that dump well-known names of species.
Give us a generation or so, and we will come to accept it.
April 8th, 2010 at 12:51 am
I’m having a “KHHHAAAANNNNNN!!” moment here. But Don makes a good point though. I’m guilty of calling it Drosophila at times. The name change could be a way to break the habit.
April 8th, 2010 at 5:44 am
Also covered by Mark Henderson in the Times: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/biology_evolution/article7091142.ece
April 8th, 2010 at 5:46 am
Sophophora melanogaster means “dark-bellied bearer of wisdom”. I think that’s wonderfully appropriate for a model organism!
April 8th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
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