Authorship of the Name Anolidae

Abstract

I recently called attention to an often-overlooked publication by Cocteau (1836) that used the family name Anolidae, establishing that name as a senior synonym of the name Dactyloidae (attributed to Fitzinger 1843) and thus as the valid (correct) name of the family including both Dactyloa and Anolis under rank-based nomenclature (de Queiroz 2022). Subsequently, I was informed of an even earlier publication of the name Anolidae by Guilding (1834) in an article that is not primary taxonomic, thus raising the question as to whether authorship of that name is properly attributed to Cocteau (1836) or Guilding (1834). After examining Guilding’s (1834) article and several of his other publications, his publication of the name Anolidae appears to qualify as establishing (making available) that family-group name. Therefore, Guilding rather than Cocteau is appropriately considered the author of that name.