What will be the impact of the decision to no longer name birds after people?
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignThe American Ornithological Society recently announced that it will change all English language common names of birds that honor people, to avoid recognizing historical figures with ties to slavery, racism, and colonialism. Historian David Sepkoski, who studies the history of biological and environmental sciences, answers questions about this change in the naming convention.