As a biologist, it often bothered me when species were named after some guy. Not because I didn't recognize the important historical contributions of scientists, but because naming a species after some guy doesn't tell you anything useful about the creature itself. While scientific names may seem like gobbledygook to the uninitiated, in most cases their Latin or Greek roots actually tell you something about the species they describe. This makes the scientific names a very useful mnemonic for students of biology if they learn a bit of Latin or Greek... except when the species are named after some guy. But there are some larger issues to how humans name other species that I didn't think much about as a student of biology trying to cram so many scientific names into my head. The American Ornithological Society (AoS) has decided to tackle these head on:
You can read more about the project and its guidelines here:
americanornithology.org
As a Druid, I often come up with different ways of referencing the non-human persons around me based on my interactions with them and what the creature teaches me directly. Similarly to the AoS focus, it is a way of putting the focus on the creatures themselves and not making it about humans. But what do you think about the naming of non-humans by humans, including but not limited to the AoS initiative to fix the names of birds?
AOS Executive Director and CEO Judith Scarl, Ph.D., said: “As scientists, we work to eliminate bias in science. But there has been historic bias in how birds are named, and who might have a bird named in their honor. Exclusionary naming conventions developed in the 1800s, clouded by racism and misogyny, don’t work for us today, and the time has come for us to transform this process and redirect the focus to the birds, where it belongs. I am proud to be part of this new vision and am excited to work in partnership with a broad array of experts and bird lovers in creating an inclusive naming structure.”
You can read more about the project and its guidelines here:
The American Ornithological Society Will Change the English Names of Bird Species Named After People
The AOS will change all English bird names currently named after people within its geographic jurisdiction—one step in an effort to address past wrongs & engage more people in the enjoyment, protection & study of birds
As a Druid, I often come up with different ways of referencing the non-human persons around me based on my interactions with them and what the creature teaches me directly. Similarly to the AoS focus, it is a way of putting the focus on the creatures themselves and not making it about humans. But what do you think about the naming of non-humans by humans, including but not limited to the AoS initiative to fix the names of birds?