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The taxonomic status of Hipparion minus Sellards, 1916 (Mammalia, Equidae)
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 July 2015
Extract
E. H. Sellards (1916, p. 96) applied the new binomen “Hipparion minor” to the very small hipparionine horse from the early Pliocene Bone Valley District of peninsular Florida. Since the gender of Hipparion is neuter, the ending of the species name must be amended to agree with it (Articles 32d and 34b, ICZN, 1985), and thus the correct spelling of the original species name for this taxon is Hipparion minus Sellards. This correction was previously instituted by Hay (1930, p. 693). However, this name is a primary junior homonym of Hipparion minus Pavlow, 1890, a Eurasian species of horse, and as such is permanently invalid (Articles 52b, 53c(ii), and 57b, ICZN, 1985). Hipparion minus Pavlow was in common use for small hipparionine horses from Russia and Greece during the first quarter of this century. Although now generally regarded as a nomen dubium, it was used as a valid subspecies as recently as Pirlot (1956). Its present disuse in no way affects the condition of primary homonymy between the two species names.
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