correctness of identification in sequence studies

[James B. Whitfield]

Deal All,
        I just downloaded the paper Luis listed, which has a lot of
good points in it about the value of  "specimens examined" sections,
and depositing vouchers.
        Some of you may also be interested be interested in the
following book, which has a
whole section on vouchers and information management for molecular
studies.  Despite the title
of the book, the destructive sampling chapters deal with a wide range of taxa:

        Byers, S. and D. Metsger, eds., Managing the Modern
Herbarium:  An Interdisciplinary
                Approach.   Society for Preservation of Natural
History Collections and Royal Ontario Museum.
                384 pp.
                available through the SPNHC website:
http://www.spnhc.org/publica.htm

        with chapters on destructive sampling/vouchers/info management by:

                Emily Wood, Torsten Eriksson and Michale J. Donoghue
:  herbarium material guidelines
                Robert K. Jansen, Dennis J. Loockerman and Hyi-Gyung
Kim:  DNA sampling from herbarium material
                Gregory J. Mueller: destructive sampling of material
of mycological herbaria for molecules
                James B. Whitfield: desrtcutive sampling and info
management for entomological specimens
                Mark D. Engstrom, Robert W. Murphy and Oliver
Haddrath: sampling from vertebrate collections
                James S. Miller:  using dessicated leaf material
                Deborah A. Metsger:  general recommendations
(position paper from symposium)

                                                        Cheers, Jim






>A few of us at the Museum of Southwestern Biology of the University of New
>Mexico published a brief exposition of the matter last October (focussing
>on a plea for maintenance of specimens examined).  The paper contains
>some specific examples of misidentifications, but no exact numbers
>regarding the same:
>
>Ruedas, L. A., J. Salazar-Bravo, J. W. Dragoo, and T. L. Yates.  2000.
>The importance of being earnest: What if anything constitutes a "specimen
>examined?"  Mol. Phylo. Evol., 17(1):129-132.
>
>The paper is freely available in pdf format by following the link at:
>
>http://talpa.unm.edu/NewMSBDOM/html/msbdompubs.html#2000
>
>Luis
>
>
>On Mon, 14 May 2001, Prof. Dr. Gerhard HASZPRUNAR wrote:
>
>>  Dear all,
>>
>>  there is rumor that a percentage of 5 - 10 % of identifications of
>>  animals, plants, or other organisms, sequences of which are published
>>  in Gene-Bank or other data-basis, is inaccurate or even badly wrong.
>>  Could anyone provide me (1) with a reference concerning this subject
>>  or (2) provide me with examples? Thank you in advance.
>>
>>  Best wishes
>>
>>  Gerhard Haszprunar
>>
>>  *********************************************
>>  Prof. Dr. Gerhard Haszprunar
>>  Zoologische Staatssammlung Muenchen
>>  Muenchhausenstr. 21
>>  D-81247 Muenchen, Germany
>>  Tel.: ++4989-8107-104, Fax: -8107-300
>>  e-mail: haszi at zi.biologie.uni-muenchen.de
>>  http://www.zsm.mwn.de/Direktor
>>
>>  NEW JOURNAL IN SYSTEMATICS:
>>  Organisms, Diversity & Evolution
>>  http://www.urbanfischer.de/journals/ode
>>  *******************************************
>>
>
>===================================================================
>                             Luis A. Ruedas
>                     Museum of Southwestern Biology
>                          Department of Biology
>                        University of New Mexico
>                   Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131-1091
>
>voice: 505/277-5340                               fax: 505/277-0304
>                   e-mail: lruedas at sevilleta.unm.edu
>                web: http://sevilleta.unm.edu/~lruedas/
>===================================================================

--
James B. Whitfield
Associate Professor
Entomology, 321 AGRI
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR 72701
tel.  501-575-2482
FAX 501-575-2452
email jwhitfie at uark.edu