[tdwg-content] New terms need resolution: "Individual"

Richard Pyle deepreef at bishopmuseum.org
Sun Jul 17 08:43:19 CEST 2011


Some other suggestions for names of this Class, following my enumeration of
examples prompted by Hilmar's post:

BiologicalUnit
BiologicalItem
BiologicalInstance
BiologicalObject
BiologicalRepresentative
OrganismalUnit
OrganismUnit
UnitOrganism
OrganismInstance
OrganismalEntity

I tend not to like "Instance", because (as already stated), all classes have
instances so it's redundant, and if meant in a different way, then we have
confusion of homonymy.  However, if that's what people really like, I won't
fight it.

I would prefer "Biological" as a prefix, rather than "Life", because as far
as I can tell, they mean essentially the same thing, so in my opinion it's
best to go with the more scientific term.

Aloha,
Rich


> -----Original Message-----
> From: tdwg-content-bounces at lists.tdwg.org [mailto:tdwg-content-
> bounces at lists.tdwg.org] On Behalf Of Chuck Miller
> Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2011 7:32 PM
> To: Gregor Hagedorn; Nico Cellinese
> Cc: tdwg-content at lists.tdwg.org
> Subject: Re: [tdwg-content] New terms need resolution: "Individual"
> 
> "a (meta-) population is a LifeInstance" does seem to make sense to me.
> 
> "a (meta-) population is a taxon" does not make sense to me.  Nor does "a
> (meta-) population is an Organism"
> 
> But "a (meta-) population is a TaxonInstance" sort of makes sense, but
Rich
> dislikes the inherent ambiguity that occurs when using the string "taxon"
or
> "taxa" in a case like this because it opens the can of worms about names
and
> concepts and spins off into endless related, but disassociated, debates.
The
> word "taxon" has several meanings that can only be understood by a clear
> context within which the word is used or by an accompanying long
definition
> that spells out which meaning is being used.  Rich has written on this
multiple
> times.
> 
> Chuck
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: tdwg-content-bounces at lists.tdwg.org
> [mailto:tdwg-content-bounces at lists.tdwg.org] On Behalf Of Gregor
> Hagedorn
> Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2011 12:18 PM
> To: Nico Cellinese
> Cc: tdwg-content at lists.tdwg.org
> Subject: Re: [tdwg-content] New terms need resolution: "Individual"
> 
> ((who would not forgive you?))
> 
> but you think "Organism" includes "population" and metapopulation? We are
> defining is-a relationships here (subclassing was already discussed), so
"a
> (meta-) population is an organism" should make sense.
> It does not to me.
> 
> Gregor
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