The New Taxonomy

Quentin D. Wheeler

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2008
• eBook ISBN: 9781040219928
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Biology
• Index: Biological Sciences

A Fresh Look at Taxonomy The most fundamental of all biological sciences, taxonomy underpins any long term strategies for reconstructing the great tree of life or salvaging as much biodiversity as possible. Initiatives reinventing taxonomy for the Internet age are leading to a resurgence in this once declining discipline. In this volume we witness the emergence of cybertaxonomy, a convergence of descriptive taxonomy with information science and computer engineering. Featuring a new paradigm of international teamwork, The New Taxonomy presents a roadmap for confronting the biodiversity crisis. Some have seen the confusion of pattern and process that followed Huxley's 1940 The New Systematics as the beginning of decline for support of taxonomy. In this answer to Huxley, contemporary taxonomists reclaim the unique mission, goals and importance of taxonomy as an independent science.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half title
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• The Editor
• Contributors
• 1 Introductory Toward the New Taxonomy
• 2 Networks and their Role in E-Taxonomy
• 3 Taxonomy as A Team Sport
• 4 Planetary Biodiversity Inventories As Models for the New Taxonomy
• 5 On the Use of Taxonomic Concepts in Support of Biodiversity Research and Taxonomy
• 6 International Infrastructure for Enabling the New Taxonomy the Role of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (Gbif)
• 7 DNA Sequences in Taxonomy Opportunities and Challenges
• 8 Animal Names for All Iczn, Zoobank and the New Taxonomy
• 9 Understanding Morphology in Systematic Contexts Three-Dimensional Specimen Ordination and Recognition
• 10 Taxonomic Shock and Awe
• Index