Taxon Framework Relationship question: one species, with subspecies recognized vs not

Without digging very hard for a relevant example, I’m hoping someone can clarify this situation, which doesn’t seem to be very obvious from the Taxon Framework guidance:

In iNaturalist:

  • Genus primus
  • Genus primus subsp. primus
  • Genus primus subsp. secundus

In external source:

  • Genus primus (synonym: Genus primus subsp. secundus)

In my mind, the relationship at species rank should be a match (same name, rank, circumscription, and parent), while the subspecies relationships should be deviations, requiring 3 TFRs total:

       External Source      Relationship      Internal Taxon
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
TFR#1   Genus primus           Match           Genus primus

TFR#2   Genus primus         Deviation         Genus primus subsp. primus

TFR#3   Genus primus         Deviation         Genus primus subsp. secundus
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

But I have the uneasy feeling that iNaturalist may be expecting this instead:

       External Source      Relationship      Internal Taxon
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            |  Genus primus
                                            |
TFR#1   Genus primus         Deviation ---->|  Genus primus subsp. primus
                                            |
                                            |  Genus primus subsp. secundus
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Or should it be (remembering the subspecies is explicitly listed in synonymy externally):

       External Source      Relationship      Internal Taxon
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
TFR#1   Genus primus           Match           Genus primus

TFR#2   (not external)       Deviation         Genus primus subsp. primus

TFR#3   (not external)       Deviation         Genus primus subsp. secundus
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

What say the TFR gurus, and why?

1 Like

@loarie @cmcheatle @bouteloua ?