[Taxacom] ZooBank - clarification

[Frank Krell]

forwarded on behalf of Andrew Polaszek, ICZN
______________________________________________ 
From: 	ICZN-AP  
Sent:	06 September 2006 12:21
To:	'taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu'
Subject:	ZooBank - clarification

Dear Colleagues,

The data currently accessible via www.zoobank.org are what comprises
Thomson Zoological's Index of Organism names, or ION - the database
behind Zoological Record. The names are those occuring in the digitised
volumes of Zoo. Record, i.e. from 1978 onwards. Thus, although many
older names are present, these often don't have original references
associated with them. The process of digitising Zoo. Record back to
volume one (1864) is almost complete, and so these names will also soon
be available via ZooBank. The other errors pointed out appear to be
mainly technical ones that we need to address asap. However, ZooBank's
eventual role is as a registry for new names, not just a database, and
we are currently developing the interface for submitting names, to be
available before the end of the year. 

Using ION to "kick-start" ZooBank was always going to carry the risk of
criticism of some of the data quality, but positive criticism is exactly
what is required to eventually clean up the data, so it is to be
welcomed. However, rather than collate and correct individual mistakes
in a piecemeal way, we are developing a coordinated system by which
authoritative taxonomic databases can be compared with the data
presently in ZooBank. This will be done in collaboration with GBIF,
TDWG, uBIO, Thomson and other partners, and will eventually rely on
those taxonomists holding reliable data. Clearly, getting ZooBank to
evolve into what will become the authoritative list of all scientific
names of animals is a major task and is going to need new resources -
not just for ICZN but for those taxonomists involved in providing and
correcting the data. In order to obtain those resources, we are going to
need to demonstrate widespread support among zoologists and others for
the ZooBank concept.

Best wishes, Andrew.


Dr Andrew Polaszek
Executive Secretary,
International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature Natural History
Museum, London SW7 5BD
+44 (0)207 942 5653
iczn-ap at nhm.ac.uk