The cobras have been confusing me quite a lot lately. In a recent publication (see link below) the cobras of the World were divided into four subgenera.
In the abstract, the authors made this little comment:
We recommend the subgenus rank as a way of maximising the phylogenetic information content of classifications while retaining nomenclatural stability.
So does that mean the new data shows they should actually be different genera, but just for the sake of "nomenclatural stability" they are simply given distinctions by subgenera?
And if we write/speak about the binomial names, do we use the genus name or subgenus name?
http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2009/f/zt02236p036.pdfJust for the guys wanting a summary of the new subgenera, diagram taken from
"In praise of subgenera: taxonomic status of cobras of the genus Naja Laurenti
(Serpentes: Elapidae)" by Van Wallach, Wolfgang Wuster and Donald Broadley
"I am dying by inches from not having anybody to talk to about insects." - Charles Darwin