Abstract
Despite the important role that species names play in multiple fields, there is no globally complete list of known and described species. This lack is a result simultaneously of the complexity of planetary biodiversity, the long history of naming species in publications from all over the world, the small number of taxonomists working on many important groups, the rapid and dynamic change in knowledge for a few well-studied groups, and the limited incentives for researchers to curate such lists. Recent papers have proposed that a more formal governance mechanism is needed to assist with the translation of taxonomic knowledge to user communities. The recommendation is for the taxonomic community to assist user groups by maintaining reviewed lists that reflect as far as possible consensus among practising taxonomists and incorporating new insights and understanding as these become widely accepted within the relevant taxonomic community. The Catalogue of Life (COL) is the most significant international partnership working to deliver a list of all species by engaging a broad network of taxonomists and databases to contribute expert-curated lists for different taxonomic groups. COL, which included 1,908,823 species as of May 2021, has great experience with developing such a list across all taxonomic groups and has been modernising its processes and tools since 2017 to reflect best practice in management of large digital information assets. This paper explores the alignment between the current state and directions of COL and the initiative to improve the governance of species lists.
Highlights
This article is part of the Special Issue and Topical Collection Towards a global list of accepted species
After more than a quarter of a millennium, the system of nomenclature introduced by Linnaeus for plant species in 1753 (Linnaeus, 1753) and extended to animal species in Linnaeus, 1758 remains central to all efforts to describe, document, and communicate knowledge about the world’s biodiversity
Throughout the biological sciences, references to organisms are given context and meaning by applying these names. Their pervasiveness and significance are so great that non-scientists readily recognise scientific names and a large proportion of the general public knows a handful of binomials and a larger number of generic names
Summary
Species lists should enable users to interpret all binomial combinations used to refer to any species and to access basic information on the species. Goal: Each sector includes all significant combinations and synonyms for the group and should be open to supporting other useful standard elements valued by taxonomists and others working with the group (types, distribution, etc.). Minimum: Each sector has the mechanism to add significant combinations and synonyms to ensure the dataset meets user needs. Each taxonomic group should be the focus of a community of expertise that takes responsibility for the group as a whole. Goal: Each sector covers the entire global biota for a higher taxon included in the COL Management Classification. Minimum: The taxonomic community for each sector takes responsibility for a taxon not otherwise included in COL and commits to collaborate with other communities to complete a higher taxon included in the COL Management Classification. Every sector should be maintained in a database or repository that increases the probability of its long-term survival
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