Sherborn: Pyle - Towards a Global Names Architecture: The future of indexing scientific names
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Transcript of Sherborn: Pyle - Towards a Global Names Architecture: The future of indexing scientific names
Towards aGlobal Names Architecture
The Future of Indexing Scientific Names
Towards aGlobal Names Architecture
The Future of Indexing Scientific Names
Richard L. PyleBishop Museum, Honolulu /
International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
Sherborn SymposiumLondon, 28 October 2011
Richard L. PyleBishop Museum, Honolulu /
International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
Sherborn SymposiumLondon, 28 October 2011
“Hence, in determining whether a form should be ranked as a species or a variety, the opinion of naturalists having sound judgment and wide experience seems the only guide to follow.”
“Hence, in determining whether a form should be ranked as a species or a variety, the opinion of naturalists having sound judgment and wide experience seems the only guide to follow.”
“We must, however, in many cases, decide by a majority of naturalists, for few well-marked and well-known varieties can be named which have not been ranked as species by at least some competent judges.”
“We must, however, in many cases, decide by a majority of naturalists, for few well-marked and well-known varieties can be named which have not been ranked as species by at least some competent judges.”
- Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species- Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species
- Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species- Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species
“A species is what a community of taxonomists says it is.”“A species is what a community of taxonomists says it is.”- Richard Pyle, PhD- Richard Pyle, PhD
“A species is what a taxonomist says it is.”“A species is what a taxonomist says it is.”- Richard Pyle, Graduate Student, 1994- Richard Pyle, Graduate Student, 1994
Biology Department, Indiana UniversityBiology Department, Indiana University
4,398 Species4,398 Species 429,829 “Names”429,829 “Names”
1,509,491 Names1,509,491 Names1,370,276 Species1,370,276 Species
Cu
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Des
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Sp
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TimeTime
Species Accumulation Curve – TheoreticalSpecies Accumulation Curve – Theoretical
Predicted Total SpeciesPredicted Total Species
00
50005000
1000010000
1500015000
2000020000
2500025000
3000030000
3500035000
1750s1750s 1800s1800s 1850s1850s 1900s1900s 1950s1950s 2000s2000s
Cu
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d S
pe
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sC
um
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Des
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Sp
eci
es
00
500500
10001000
15001500
20002000
25002500
30003000
35003500
40004000
45004500
New
Sp
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escr
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d P
er
Dec
ad
eN
ew S
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Des
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Pe
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DecadeDecade
Data from Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes, May 2009.Data from Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes, May 2009.
Species Accumulation Curve – All FishesSpecies Accumulation Curve – All Fishes
Predicted Total Species?Predicted Total Species?
YearYear
Nu
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f D
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d S
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ies
(Mill
ion
s)
Nu
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escr
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d S
pec
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(Mill
ion
s)
00
55
1010
1515
2020
17501750 18001800 18501850 19001900 19501950 20002000
Something NeedsTo Happen HereSomething NeedsTo Happen Here
20502050
Total Global BiodiversityTotal Global Biodiversity
© Isabella Kirkland© Isabella Kirkland
“DESCENDANT”“DESCENDANT”
© Isabella Kirkland© Isabella Kirkland
“GONE”“GONE”
YearYear
Nu
mb
er o
f D
escr
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d S
pec
ies
(Mill
ion
s)
Nu
mb
er o
f D
escr
ibe
d S
pec
ies
(Mill
ion
s)
00
55
1010
1515
2020
17501750 18001800 18501850 19001900 19501950 20002000
Something NeedsTo Happen HereSomething NeedsTo Happen Here
20502050
??
??
??
??
Total Global BiodiversityTotal Global Biodiversity
BPBM 40861, Chromis abyssus HOLOTYPEBelau; off Ngemelis Island (7.13791°N, 134.2218°E)-110 meters27 April 2007
BPBM 40861, Chromis abyssus HOLOTYPEBelau; off Ngemelis Island (7.13791°N, 134.2218°E)-110 meters27 April 2007
ToL
GenBank
HymenopteraNameServer
BDWB
CalPhotos
TAXONOMY
A Global Names ArchitectureA Global Names Architecture
WWSD?WWSD?(What Would Sherborn Do?)(What Would Sherborn Do?)
From the Epilogue, Section 2, Part 29, pp. vi-vii:“Now my work is finished, it may well be to glance at the
difficulties met with during compilation.”
From the Epilogue, Section 2, Part 29, pp. vi-vii:“Now my work is finished, it may well be to glance at the
difficulties met with during compilation.”
“This want of every book and every edition has been a serious hindrance and loss of time to me while working for over forty years in the British Museum (Natural History) and though I have acquired over a thousand volumes for the libraries, gaps still remain to be filled.”
“This want of every book and every edition has been a serious hindrance and loss of time to me while working for over forty years in the British Museum (Natural History) and though I have acquired over a thousand volumes for the libraries, gaps still remain to be filled.”
“On the whole one has met with a generous response, but the amused smile, real apathy, or the remark ‘we have no money’ … have been encountered.”
“On the whole one has met with a generous response, but the amused smile, real apathy, or the remark ‘we have no money’ … have been encountered.”
WWSD?WWSD?(What Would Sherborn Do?)(What Would Sherborn Do?)
From the Epilogue, Section 2, Part 29, pp. vi-vii:“And now that rotography has superseded photography as
regards cost, a rare tract can be reproduced in a few hours and placed on its proper shelf in any Library for a few shillings.””
From the Epilogue, Section 2, Part 29, pp. vi-vii:“And now that rotography has superseded photography as
regards cost, a rare tract can be reproduced in a few hours and placed on its proper shelf in any Library for a few shillings.””
“In conclusion I may add that the whole of my papers, Books of Reference and apparatus will remain at the Museum for my continuator and I trust that arrangements will be made for the permanent indexing of even current literature as the only true method of economizing the time of the working zoologist.”
“In conclusion I may add that the whole of my papers, Books of Reference and apparatus will remain at the Museum for my continuator and I trust that arrangements will be made for the permanent indexing of even current literature as the only true method of economizing the time of the working zoologist.”
- C. Davies Sherborn, London, March, 1932- C. Davies Sherborn, London, March, 1932