HERPETOLOGICAL NOMENCLATUXRXEX      211
NOMENCLATURE
Herpetological Review, 2023, 54(2), 211–212.
© 2023 by Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
Authorship of the Name Anolidae
I recently called attention to an often-overlooked refer to multiple organisms or species of the genus designated 
publication by Cocteau (1836) that used the family name by that name). Although the name Anolis is thought to be 
Anolidae, establishing that name as a senior synonym of the derived from a native language of the Americas (Daudin 1802; 
name Dactyloidae (attributed to Fitzinger 1843) and thus as Lesser Antillean Arawak according to Merriam-Webster.com), 
the valid (correct) name of the family including both Dactyloa if latinized, it would presumably take the form of a noun in the 
and Anolis under rank-based nomenclature (de Queiroz 2022). third declension. Genus names, both currently and historically, 
Subsequently, I was informed of an even earlier publication of take the form of nouns in the nominative singular (ICZN 1999: 
the name Anolidae by Guilding (1834) in an article that is not Art. 11.8; Brown 1956), and those that have -is endings in 
primary taxonomic, thus raising the question as to whether the nominative singular are normally in the third declension 
authorship of that name is properly attributed to Cocteau (1836) (e.g., canis, dog; ignis, fire; turris, tower) (Brown 1956). The 
or Guilding (1834). After examining Guilding’s (1834) article and nominative plurals of such nouns end in -es (Brown 1956); thus, 
several of his other publications, his publication of the name the nominative plural of Anolis would be Anoles or Anolides. In 
Anolidae appears to qualify as establishing (making available) fact, some authors have used one or the other of those spellings 
that family-group name. Therefore, Guilding rather than Cocteau seemingly as the plural form of Anolis (e.g., Boulenger 1885:3, 
is appropriately considered the author of that name. 73; Gosse 1850:68, 87, 94, 129 for Anoles; Tilesius von Tilenau 
The critical issue is whether Guilding (1834) clearly used 1820:314; Sumichrast 1864:507 for Anolides).
Anolidae “as a scientific name to denote a suprageneric taxon Thus, it seems that Guilding’s (1834) publication of the name 
and not merely as a plural noun or adjective referring to the Anolidae satisfies the requirements for establishment under 
members of a genus” (ICZN 1999: Art. 11.7.1.2). It appears that he the zoological code (i.e., it is an available name), and therefore 
did. First, Guilding used the -idae ending, which was proposed as authorship of that name should be attributed to Guilding (1834) 
a standard termination by Kirby (1813) and eventually became rather than to Cocteau (1836). In any case, Anolidae remains 
codified as the standard termination for taxa assigned to the the correct name of the family containing the genus Anolis as 
rank of family (Strickland et al. 1843; ICZN 1905, 1999: Art. 29.2). currently recognized (e.g., Uetz et al. 2022) under rank-based 
Although that termination had not been universally adopted nomenclature.
by 1834, it had been adopted in several herpetological works 
(e.g., Bell 1825; Gray 1825, 1827; Bonaparte 1831), and Guilding Acknowledgments.—Thanks to Wolfgang Denzer for calling my 
had adopted it (or the similar ending -adae) in association with attention to the paper by Guilding (1834), to the Biodiversity Heri-
the rank of family both implicitly (e.g., Guilding 1824a, b) and tage Library for facilitating access to the relevant literature, and to 
explicitly (e.g., Guilding 1828a, b) in his earlier works (his 1834 Wolfgang Denzer and Gunther Köhler for helpful reviews.
paper was published posthumously).
Second, although Guilding (1834) did not refer to Anolidae liteRatuRe cited
as a family, he did refer to it as a tribe (p. 583), and although 
that term could have been used as a general term for a group Bell, t. 1825. On a new genus of Iguanidae. Zool. J. 2:204–207 + 1 pl.
of related species, Guilding had used it as a formal suprageneric BonaParte, c. l. 1831. Saggio di una distribuzione metodica degli ani-
rank previously (Guilding 1827, 1829). The zoological code mali vertebrati. Antonio Boulzaler, Rome. 144 pp.
requires only that the name was used to denote a suprageneric Boulenger, g. a. 1885. Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum 
(Natural History), 2nd ed., Vol. 2. Trustees of the British Museum, 
taxon and not specifically one ranked as a family.
London. 497 pp. + XXIV pls. 
Third, the name Anolidae is not of the form that would be 
BroWn, r. W. 1956. Composition of Scientific Words. Smithsonian 
expected for the plural of Anolis (i.e., of a plural noun used to 
Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 882 pp.
cocteau, J.-t. 1836. Révision de la famille des Anolis, à l’occasion 
KEVIN DE QUEIROZ d’un nouveau genre de ce groupe de reptiles sauriens (Achan-
Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, tolis [sic]) rapporté de Cuba par M. de la Sagra. L’Institut 
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 4:286–287.
Washington, D.C., 20560, USA; DauDin F. M. 1802. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, des 
e-mail: dequeirozk@si.edu
reptiles. Tome IV. Paris, F. Dufart. 397 pp.
Herpetological Review 54(2), 2023
212     X HXEXRPETOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE
de QueiRoz, k. 2022. The correct name for the taxon ranked as a iczn (international coMMiSSion on zoological noMenclature). 
family containing the genus Anolis under rank-based nomen- 1905. Règles internationales de la nomenclature zoologique. 
clature and the author of the name Anolis loysiana. Herpetol. International Rules of Zoological Nomenclature. Internatio-
Rev. 53:418–420. nale Regeln der zoologischen Nomenklatur. Rudeval, Paris. 57 
Fitzinger, l. J. 1843. Systema Reptilium. Braumüller and Seidel, pp.
Vienna. 106 + vi pp. ———. 1999. International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. 
goSSe, P. h. 1850. Natural History. Reptiles. Society for Promoting Fourth Edition. The International Trust for Zoological Nomen-
Christian Knowledge, London. 293 pp. clature, London. 306 pp.
gray, J. e. 1825. A synopsis of the genera of reptiles and amphib- kirBy, W. 1813 [“1815”]. Strepsiptera, a new order of insects pro-
ia, with a description of some new species. Ann. Phil., ser. 2, posed; and the characters of the order, with those of its genera, 
10:193–217. laid down. Trans. Linn. Soc. London.11:86–122 + 2 pl.
———. 1827. A synopsis of the genera of saurian reptiles, in MerriaM-WeBSter Dictionary. 2023. “Anole.” Available at: www.
which some new genera are indicated, and the others re- merriam-webster.com. Accessed 2 April 2023.
viewed by actual examination. Phil. Mag., ser. 2, 2:54–58. stRickland, h. e., J. s. henslow, J. PhilliPs, w. e. shuckaRd, J. Rich-
guilDing, l. 1824a. The natural history of Xylocopa teredo and aRdson, g. R. wateRhouse, R. owen, w. yaRRell, l. Jenyns, c. 
Horia maculata. Trans. Linn. Soc. London 14:313–317. DarWin, W. J. BroDeriP, anD J. o. WeStWooD. 1843. Report of a 
———. 1824b. Description of a new species of Onchidium. Trans. committee appointed “to consider the rules by which the no-
Linn. Soc. London 14:322–324. menclature of zoology may be established on a uniform and 
———. 1827. The natural history of Oiketicus, a new and singular permanent basis.” In Report of the Twelfth Meeting of the Brit-
genus of Lepidoptera. Trans. Linn. Soc. London 15:371–377. ish Association for the Advancement of Science, pp. 105–121. 
———. 1828a. Insects infesting the sugar-cane. Trans. Soc. Lon- John Murray, London.
don Encour. Arts. 46:143–153. SuMichraSt, F. 1864. Note on the habits of some Mexican reptiles. 
———. 1828b. Observations on the zoology of the Caribaean Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 3, 13:497–507.
(sic) Islands. Mollusca Caribaeana. Zool. J. 3:527–544. tileSiuS Von tilenau, W. g. 1820. De geckone australi argyropode 
———. 1829. Observations on the Chitonidae. Zool. J. 5:25–35. nec non de generum naturalium in zoologia systematica dig-
———. 1834. Notes on luminous insects, chiefly of the West In- nitate tuenda, atque de geckonibus in genere. Mem. Acad. Sci. 
dies; on luminous meteors; on I’gnes Fátui; on the luminous- St. Petersb. 7:311–358.
ness of the sea; and on the powers possessed by the races of uetz, P., P. FReed, R. aguilaR, F. Reyes, and J. hošek (eds.). 2022. The 
lizards, of voluntarily changing their colour: with other infor- Reptile Database. Available at: www.reptile-database.org. Ac-
mation on the habits of lizards. Mag. Nat. Hist. J. Zool. Bot. cessed 6 January 2023.
Mineral. Geol. Meteorol. 7:579–583.
Herpetological Review 54(2), 2023