entering scientific names

[Kelly Sendall 250 387-2932]

U SED> Dear taxacomers:
U SED>
U SED> I need your expertise to clarify some questions about the right way to
U SED> enter scientific names in to an electronic check-list depending on the
U SED> taxonomical level as well by major taxonomical group (plants, animals).
U SED>
U SED> At least we agree that for infraspecific level should be ALL in
lowercase
U SED>
U SED> For genus : Starting upper and then lowercase
U SED>
U SED> But, how should be for family, Order, Class, etc. All uppercase?, Mixed
or
U SED> lower?. We have seen both ways in the literture.
U SED>
U SED> Could you give us some advice?
U SED>
U SED> One more for databasers!
U SED>
U SED> Specific and infraspecific names should be entered as
U SED> binominal-trinominal or just the epitets?.
U SED> (thinking more in recursive related tables)
U SED>
U SED> just an example!
U SED>
U SED> CLASS: AVES
U SED> ORDER: FALCONIFORMES
U SED> FAMILY: FALCONIDAE
U SED> GENUS: Falco
U SED> SPECIES: mexicanus "or" Falco mexicanus
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is how we enter such data at the Royal BC Museum:

Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Holothuroidea
Order: Dendrochirotida
Family: Cucumariidae
Genus: Cucumaria
Genus Authority: de Blainville 1834
Species: pallida
Species Authority: Kirkendale & Lambert 1995

We have not experienced any difficulty in using this format. These are only 8
out of 80 fields used in the invertebrate database.

Kelly Sendall
Collections Manager
Invertebrates
Royal BC Museum
Victoria, BC
CANADA
(250) 387-2932
(250) 387-5674 fax