SHOETER ARTICLES AND DISCUSSION 



EEPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GENETIC FORM AND 

 NOMENCLATURE 



The American Society of Naturalists at their meeting in 1919 

 appointed a Committee on Genetic Form and Nomenclature con- 

 sisting of Drs. S. Wright, G. H. Shull, 0. E. White, A. H. 

 Startevant and myself as chairman. We were to consider the 

 matter of genetic nomenclature and submit constructive sug- 

 gestions for standardizing descriptive terms in this subject. 

 "The following report of the committee was submitted to the 

 meeting of the American Naturalists at Chicago, 1920, as a foun- 

 dation intended to cover the cases of inheritance commonly met 

 with by the majority of experimental workers in genetics. It is 

 submitted in the hope that it may be pulblished to invite dis- 

 cussion as to suggested modifications which would enable it to 

 include particular problems of the scores of investigators in this 

 field. In making such criticisms it is suggested that the primary 

 object of this report be continually borne in mind and that con- 

 structive suggestions based on it as a framework are more likely 

 to lead to beneficial results than purely destructive ones. The 

 vast majority of workers in genetics will be concerned with 

 simple enough problems to be covered by the report. Those 

 whose material requires modification of the methods therein sug- 

 gested will undoubtedly see the justice in attempting to adapt 

 their particular needs to some modification of a sj-steni which 

 will meet the needs of the majority," 



C. C. Little, Chmrnum, 

 Committee on Genetic Form and Nomenclature. 



In submitting this report your committee desires to call atten- 

 tion to certain matters of general interest in connection with it. 

 It is neither proposed nor supposed that those now familiar with 

 some characteristic or individual form of genetic nomenclature 

 will necessarily find it desirable to conform with the suggestions 

 contained herein. If they can and \nll cheerfully do so, so 

 much the better; if not, no intention to dictate is implied in this 

 report. 



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