Post on 20-Jan-2016
Ontologizing morphological terms for Hymenoptera
(Insecta) - implementing and benefiting from a
controlled vocabulary
Andrew R. Deans
Gregory A. Riccardi
Fredrik RonquistSchool of Computational Science, Florida State University
Hymenoptera
• one of 4 megadiverse insect orders (>115,000 described spp.)
• includes sawflies, ants, bees, social wasps, parasitic wasps
Hymenoptera Relationships
HymAToL - Assembling the Tree of Life for Hymenoptera
>30 people collaborating to resolve relationships between the major lineages of Hymenoptera
molecules
morphology
Terminological Issues
same spelling but different structure (e.g., “face”)
same structure but different spelling
Terminological Issues
“unguis” or “(pre)tarsal claw”
Terminological Issues
obscure terms
outdated terms (=to be discouraged)
ortaxon-specific terms
alitrunk
gaster
Ontology - controlled, explicit vocabulary
• includes relationships (“part of”, “synonym of”, etc.)
• hierarchical
• treats outdated terminology
• terms are verbally defined and illustrated
• incorporates taxon-specificity
Several ways to implement and benefit...
Search for -
“claw”
“pretarsus”
“orbicula”
“ungues”
“unguis”
OR
Search for -
“pretarsus”
+
related terms
Annotations
• high-lighting
• feedback
Phylogenetic tools
• high-lighting
• feedback
Terminological Issues
same spelling but different structure (e.g., “face”)
• online atlas of hymenopteran morphology
Other implementations/benefits
• “approved” terminology (ISH)
bioinformatics
colleagues
[Term]
id: 587
name: scrobal groove
def: "A horizontal groove on the mesopleuron that may be continuous with the episternal groove anteriorly and ends at the pleural grove posteriorly”
ref: "Goulet H, Huber JT, 1993. Hymenoptera of the World: An Identification Guide to Families. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada Publication 1894/E., Ottawa, ON. 668 pp.”
link: "<link to images, etc. could go here>”
relationship: part_of 157 ! mesopleuron
relationship: is_a 138 ! groove
data dump
REAL ONTOLOGY
mx
backend
NSF-funded MorphBank project (http://morphbank.net/)
Neil Sarkar (AMNH), Donat Agosti (AMNH), Norm Johnson (OSU), Matt Yoder (TAMU), et alia plurima
Acknowledgments