(009) A proposal to solve a paradox when neotypifying names of fossil‐taxa

Abstract

History has given us too many examples where types of the names of taxa have been lost. For example, the destruction of the Berlin Herbarium (B) after a bombing raid in 1943 was a severe blow for the botanical world. A major part of one of the world's largest collections and most extensive neotropical type collection was damaged or destroyed, together with many type specimens from all over the world that were on loan in Berlin at the time. Even today, unfortunate events can cause the loss of scientifically valuable type specimens.