Cybertaxonomic approach to revision of larger groups: 3i experience
Dmitry A. Dmitriev & Chris H. Dietrich
Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1816 S. Oak st., Champaign IL, 61820. E-mail: [email protected], Http://ctap.inhs.uiuc.edu/dmitriev/
- WHAT IS CYBERTAXONOMY?
- 3i PROGRAM DETAILS
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Taxonomists have always been at the forefront of efforts to document
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3i is an abbreviation for Internet-accessible global biodiversity. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts over the 250 years Interactive Identification. This is a set of tools since Linnaeus established the present system for classifying and naming intended to facilitate the efficient production of species, the vast majority (perhaps 90% or more) of species remain Internet-based virtual taxonomic revisions, undocumented. Taxonomists currently describe ~20,000 new species per published monographs, and checklists. The year, but recent estimates suggest that between 27,000 and 130,000 species package facilitates storage, retrieval and are being lost each year to extinction. Thus, efforts to document the world’s integration species need to be accelerated. specimen-level data on distributions and Because the number of practicing taxonomists is not likely to increase ecological associations, morphological character appreciably in the near future, the most practical solution to addressing the data and associated illustrations, and need for more rapid species discovery and documentation is to make bibliographic information. taxonomists more efficient. Data is stored in customized MS Access
- of
- taxonomic
- nomenclature,
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a
Revisionary study is a crucial part of the job of any taxonomist. A good 2000 relational database residing on Microsoft taxonomic revision summarizes knowledge about a group of organisms and web server. incorporates many kinds of evidence to test hypotheses of species identity,
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Web interfaces for specialized querying of the including morphology, distribution patterns, ecological preferences, database are developed using ASP (Active bioacoustics, and molecular variation. Revisions result in some previously Server Pages) programming technology. The described species being synonymized, new species being described and interfaces include simple and advanced searches illustrated, and tools being provided for identification of known species. on any field in the database, interactive keys Taxonomic revisions of diverse groups of organisms are challenging designed to include attributes similar to those of because they require efficient management and synthesis of large amounts Delta IntKey and Lucid (two popular programs for of nomenclatural, morphological, and distributional data. Such revisions, development of interactive keys), and complete
Catalogue of Life
- when published, provide a snap-shot of the modern knowledge on a group of taxon
- treatments
- including
- synonymies,
organisms. However, because revisions also stimulate further study and descriptions, images, lists of material examined, species discovery within a group of organisms by synthesizing often difficult distributional maps, tables of host plants, and to obtain data from previous literature and collections of specimens, they literature citations. often quickly become outdated. Thus modes of dissemination other than traditional print media are necessary to facilitate rapid updating of taxonomy.
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3i works with any browser supporting frames and JavaScript (tested on Internet Explorer 5.0–
The relatively new field of cybertaxonomy aims to develop information 8.0, Netscape 4.08–7.02, Opera 5.0–7.2, Safari, processing tools that enable taxonomists both to produce traditional Mozilla, Firefox 1–3, MSN, and Chrome browsers taxonomic revisions more rapidly and to develop new models for managing on both Mac and PC computers). and disseminating taxonomic information. Cybertaxonomy has the same
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Data from 3i are shared with Catalog of Life, goals as traditional taxonomy: identifying, documenting, and describing the Encyclopedia of Life, Discover Life, Global Name biodiversity on the planet. Technological advances, including relational Index, and GBiF. databases, digital imaging, and Internet dissemination, help to overcome
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Free download is available from the web site some of the logistical problems inherent to large revisions, and provide (Dmitriev, 2003 onward). systematists with tools to increase both the quality and quantity of such studies. The advantages of on-line revisions over traditional print publication
NEXT STEPS
- include free (or low cost) easy access of up-to-date information via
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computer with an Internet connection. Collaborative projects are easy to manage because on-line access to the database enables simultaneous entering and editing of data. Such ready access to preliminary results (e.g., preliminary identification keys) facilitates further research because a large audience of researchers can access and preview species descriptions, illustrations, keys for identification, and detect and fix errors before final publication. Use of interactive identification keys based on data matrices simplifies development of dichotomous keys and is ultimately more flexible: species may be added to the key one by one, which is extremely difficult with dichotomous keys.
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Transition to SQL Server platform and
Impacts of 3i on Leafhopper Taxonomy (Past 5 Years*)
development of on-line interfaces for entering data. This will promote collaborative projects.
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enhance functionality of the later with tools required to produce virtual taxonomic revisions. Collaboration with the Species File group to
Total number of taxa in DB
Valid names of genera Valid names of species New genera described
14450
1104 6616
14
New species described New synonyms recognized Genera in interactive keys Species in interactive keys Genera in paper revisions Species in paper revisions Number of characters in keys Number of illustrations
87
276 298 913
1
21
505 265
19845
140526 137275
7
Number of specimens Georeferenced specimens Number of paper publications Number of paper pages
3
530
* Including the time for 3i software development
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work was supported in part by NSF grants DEB0315373, DEB0529679, DEB0715499, Encyclopedia of Life mini grant, and Hatch award ILLU-875-361.
PUBLICATIONS
Dmitriev D.A., 2003 onward. Web site: 3i interactive keys and taxonomic databases. http://ctap.inhs.uiuc.edu/dmitriev/ Dietrich, C.H., Dmitriev, D.A., 2006. Review of the New World genera of the leafhopper tribe Erythroneurini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae). Bull. Illinois Natur. Hist. Survey. 37(5): I–IV, 119–190.
Basic Steps Involved in Creating Online and Printed Monographs using 3i
1.Sort specimens and identify species;
Dietrich, C.H., Dmitriev, D.A., 2007. Revision of the New World leafhopper genus Neozygina Dietrich & Dmitriev (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae: Erythroneurini). Zootaxa. 1475: 27–42. Dmitriev, D.A., Dietrich, C.H., 2007. Review of the New World Erythroneurini (Hemiptera:
Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae). I. Genera Erythroneura, Erasmoneura, Rossmoneura, and Hymetta. Bull. Illinois Natur. Hist. Surv. 38(2): I–V, 59–128.
Dietrich, C.H., Dmitriev, D.A., 2008. Review of the species of New World Erythroneurini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae). II. Genus Zyginama. Bull. Illinois Natur. Hist. Surv. 38(3): I–IV, 129–176.
2.Enter nomenclature and citations for previously described taxa into database; 3.Enter data from specimen labels; 4.Georeference localities and import coordinates into database; 5.Conduct comparative morphological study to select appropriate characters; 6.Score characters for each species and enter data into database; 7.Export morphological data matrix for phylogenetic analysis; 8.Capture standard views of specimens illustrating diagnostic morphological features of each species and states of each character and import these into database.
Dmitriev, D.A., 2008. New and little known species of Erasmoneura Young (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae). Zootaxa. 1851: 65–68. Dmitriev, D.A., Dietrich, C.H., 2009. Review of the New World Erythroneurini (Hemiptera:
Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae). III. Genus Erythridula. Bull. Illinois Natur. Hist. Surv. 38(6): I–
IV, 215–334.
After these steps have been completed, the virtual monograph is finished because 3i automatically generates an interactive key and a treatment of each species (or higher taxon) including synonymy, verbal description, distribution map, and list of specimens examined (Fig. 1). To create manuscript for
Dmitriev, D.A., Dietrich, C.H., 2010. Review of the New World Erythroneurini (Hemiptera:
Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae). IV. Genus Eratoneura. Bull. Illinois Natur. Hist. Surv. 39(3): I–
VIII, 79-258. publication, the individual species treatments may be exported to processor document and a dichotomous key may be generated interactively using the key building tool in 3i (Fig. 1, 2).
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- word