Proposal (1071) to South
American Classification Committee
Adopt Grallaria fenwickorum as the valid name
for Urrao Antpitta
Effect
on SACC: Determines the scientific name
for Urrao Antpitta (currently listed as Grallaria urraoensis).
Background: ICZN (2018a)
ruled that Grallaria fenwickorum is an available name and the valid name
for a Colombian species of antpitta.
In
2010, a new species of antpitta Grallaria was described and named by two
teams of authors: Grallaria fenwickorum Barrera & Bartels (in
Barrera, Bartels & Fundación ProAves de Colombia, 2010) on 18 May 2010, and
Grallaria urraoensis Carantón-Ayala & Certuche-Cubillos (2010) on 24
June 2010. There never was disagreement about which name was published first,
nor whether this population represented a new species taxon. However, various
aspects of the naming of this species have caused considerable controversy. The
most consequential aspect of the controversy was whether G. fenwickorum
or G. urraoensis is the valid name of the new species. This was
contingent on whether or not the senior name G. fenwickorum is available
sensu the ICZN Code.
In a previous proposal to SACC (proposal 479B, March 2011),
Santiago Claramunt pointed out that there are “fundamental problems with the
description by Barrera et al. pertaining to the designation and whereabouts of
the type material” which make the name Grallaria fenwickorum Barrera
& Bartels, 2010 unavailable for nomenclatural purposes. A majority of the
committee agreed with this analysis and concluded that the name Grallaria
fenwickorum Barrera & Bartels, 2010 does not meet the provisions of the
ICZN Code, and is therefore unavailable. Consequently, the SACC adopted the
name Grallaria urraoensis Carantón-Ayala & Certuche-Cubillos, 2010
for this species.
Peterson
(2013) also had come to the conclusion that the type material of G.
fenwickorum was problematic. He proposed to the ICZN Committee (Case 3623)
that it sets aside the type material of G. fenwickorum and designates
the holotype of G. urraoensis as a neotype for Grallaria fenwickorum
Barrera & Bartels, 2010.
During
the formal consultation round for this proposal, several commentaries were
published in Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature (Fundación ProAves de Colombia
2013, 2014, Claramunt et al. 2014). Claramunt et al. (2014) expressed the view
that a neotype for G. fenwickorum is not warranted because the name G.
fenwickorum is unavailable.
Ultimately,
several proposals were voted on by the ICZN Commission (ICZN 2018a). Briefly:
Set A
and Set B: set aside the type material of G. fenwickorum and designate
the holotype of G. urraoensis as the neotype of the name G.
fenwickorum. (The only difference between the two sets is that in Set A
(the original proposal by Peterson 2013) the name Grallaria fenwickorum is
attributed to Barrera et al. (2010), whereas in Set B (a corrected version of
Set A by Fundación ProAves de Colombia 2013) the name Grallaria fenwickorum is
attributed to Barrera & Bartels (2010)).
Set C:
confirm that the name Grallaria fenwickorum is invalid (alternative
proposal 2 by Fundación ProAves de Colombia 2013);
Set D:
rule that the name Grallaria urraoensis is to be given precedence over Grallaria
fenwickorum (alternative proposal 3 by Fundación ProAves de Colombia 2013).
Another
proposed case (confirm G. fenwickorum as an unavailable name) was
not taken into consideration by the ICZN Commission and was closed (ICZN
2018b).
New
information: Opinion 2414 by ICZN (2018a)
None
of the proposed sets generated the 2/3 proportion of affirmative votes required
for formal adoption by the ICZN Commission. In their ruling, ICZN
(2018a: 182) stated that: “The available specific name Grallaria fenwickorum
Barrera & Bartels in Barrera, Bartels & Fundación ProAves de
Colombia, 2010 remains valid for the species of antpitta involved” and that:
“The issue is left open for subsequent workers to make new proposals to the
Commission.”
Some
of the ICZN Commisioners provided comments on their votes, including statements
that (i) the designation of a neotype for G. fenwickorum is not
warranted because there is no taxonomic uncertainty to be resolved, and (ii) if
multiple birds were designated as ‘holotype’ this would only mean that these
are actually syntypes, which does not have any consequences for the
availability of the name.
Recommendation: YES (i.e. implement Opinion 2414 of ICZN (2018a) by
adopting Grallaria fenwickorum as the valid name for Urrao Antpitta).
References
Barrera, LF, Bartels, A & Fundación ProAves de
Colombia 2010. A new species of antpitta (family Grallariidae) from the Colibrí
del Sol Bird Reserve, Colombia. Conservación Colombiana 13: 8–24. https://www.proaves.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Grallaria_fenwickorum_description_Con_Col_13.pdf
Carantón-Ayala, D &
Certuche-Cubillos, K 2010. A new species of antpitta (Grallariidae: Grallaria)
from from the northern sector of the western Andes of Colombia. Ornitología
Colombiana 9: 56–70. https://revistas.ornitologiacolombiana.com/index.php/roc/article/download/225/190
Claramunt, S, Cuervo, AM, Piacentini,
V de Q, Bravo, GA & Remsen JV Jr. 2014. Comment on Grallaria fenwickorum Barrera & Bartels, 2010 (Aves, Grallariidae): proposed replacement
of an indeterminate holotype by a neotype. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature
71: 40–43. https://www.biotaxa.org/bzn/article/view/38253/32732
Fundación ProAves de Colombia 2013.
Comment on Grallaria fenwickorum Barrera & Bartels, 2010 (Aves,
Grallariidae): proposed replacement of an indeterminate holotype by a neotype.
Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 70: 256–269. https://www.biotaxa.org/bzn/article/view/38301/32777
Fundación ProAves de Colombia 2014.
Comment on Grallaria fenwickorum Barrera & Bartels, 2010 (Aves,
Grallariidae): proposed replacement of an indeterminate holotype by a neotype.
Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 71: 254–256. https://www.biotaxa.org/bzn/article/view/38033/32639
International Commission on
Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) 2018a. Opinion 2414 (Case 3623)–Grallaria fenwickorum Barrera & Bartels in Barrera, Bartels & Fundación ProAves de
Colombia, 2010 (Aves, Grallariidae): replacement of an indeterminate holotype
by a neotype not approved. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 75: 181–186. https://www.biotaxa.org/bzn/article/view/41116/35022
International Commission on
Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) 2018b. Closure of Cases (3451, 3459, 3564, 3691,
3755). Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 75: 302. https://www.biotaxa.org/bzn/article/view/44183/38057
Peterson, AT 2013. Case 3623. Grallaria
fenwickorum Barrera et al., 2010 (Aves, Formicariidae): proposed
replacement of an indeterminate holotype by a neotype. Bulletin of Zoological
Nomenclature 70: 99–102. https://www.biotaxa.org/bzn/article/view/38375/32841
George Sangster, January 2026
Vote
tracking chart:
https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCPropChart1044+.htm