Reply to: Teta et al. (2020): on the distinction and availability of the new taxa proposed by Agnolin et al. 2019

FEDERICO AGNOLIN; MARÍA R. DERGUY; NICOLÁS R. CHIMENTO; IANINA GODOY

MASTOZOOLOGí­A NEOTROPICAL

UNIDAD DE ZOOLOGÍA Y ECOLOGÍA ANIMAL, INSTITUTO ARGENTINO DE INVESTIGACIÓN DE LAS ZONAS ARIDAS, CRICYT, CONICET

Lugar: Mendoza; Año: 2021 vol. 28

0327-9383

In a recent work Teta and collaborators conclude that all taxonomic decisions and new taxa established by Agnolin et al. should be considered invalid. It is not our aim to analyze point by point the critics and observations made by Teta et al., some of which we recognize are correct. In the present contribution we emphasize on the epistemological and philosophical aws made by those authors. Teta et al. sustain their criticsal most on authority criterion, acting as judge and jury on what works and what does not in mammalogy. We are convinced that without discussion there is a danger that any scientic discipline can be transformed in a dogma.