WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Herpetology was the study of reptiles and amphibians. Many biologists have an identity crisis. Names such as herpetologist, entomologist and mycologist are just not fashionable. Much preferred are rather broader titles such as ethologist, immunologist and endocrinologist.

A survey of biologists who classify themselves as herpetologists might reveal ecologists, ethologists and evolutionary biologists. Many of developmental biologists who use frog embryos would be unaware that herpetology existed.

Like some of the specimens kept in their collections, zoology and botany departments are becoming endangered species. Within the departments many parasitologists have metamorphosed into immunologists. Perhaps, the terms zoology, botany, entomology and the like are just too traditional.

This sensitivity towards titles appears to be a unique phenomenon at some places. In some countries, biology, zoology and botany departments are still the norm, and the tenuous division into pure and applied seems a typically spurious creation.

Outside the academic arena, though, the image-conscious biologist is usually a little more specific about titles. The crux of the problem probably lies in the fact that biologists like to emphasize that their science is founded upon concepts, hypotheses and models which cut across taxonomic boundaries. In a biological problem, seeking out an appropriate organism can solve it. For instance, fruit flies are more suitable than elephants for studying the nature of genetic mutations.

In these enlightened times, the geneticist or physiologist or ecologist really fully appraise the diversity of organisms available before choosing the subjects for the next experiment. Identifying a problem to solve is more often than not dictated by the organisms that a biologist is most familiar with. That is not to say that true, multi taxonomic biologists do not exist, but they are outnumbered by the rest and may have problems getting research proposals past more territorial referees.

Lichenologists, nematologists and ichthyologists can carry out just as good biology as ecologists, neurophysiologists and immunologists. The biology can always be divided into two directions-texa in the segment, problems in the layers.