[Taxacom] Scientific name vs Scientific name string

[Wolfgang Lorenz]

Dear all,
Peter asked "Maybe someone can make a proposal, or describe what they use?"

Let me expand the topic a bit by asking: What are we doing with names in
databases?

First, we want to store information that we get from primary or secondary
sources (specimen labels, literature, databases, web pages, observation
notes...). Names attached as accepted names to such information can be
termed "chresonyms" (in a wide sense), or "VerbatimNameUsage".
I would enter such names as verbatim as possible while, of course, they need
to be readable. For example, when a species name is cited as an epithet
only, but the genus is mentioned in the publication title, the implied
complete binomen should be entered. Author and date can be entered verbatim,
if given. Some databasers might want to annotate the corrected spelling of a
misspelled name, but this should be made explicit.

Second, we need to interpret names entered from data sources, so we need our
own accepted set (or alternative sets) of names. The best we can do here is
stay with perfectly Code-compliant names based on up-to-date
classifications. Such names do not include author and year, but as an
additional information (e.g., in a separate data field) such info is often
very useful.

Error-free interpretation of all names is very much a handwork of the taxon
specialist, so far.
Misspellings and misapplied names are not the only impediment for automated
interpretation. One more reason is the considerable number of species-group
names that are alternative generic combinations. Such (mainly zoological)
names are not easily found, even in many recent catalogues.
Biodiversity informaticians are seeking to develop tools that can, at least,
perform a reasonable pre-interpretation. In my opinion, there is a way to
support development of such tools, - and I have already mentioned the idea
in previous postings:

It's because each available taxonomic name has an "anchor" name, that is the
binomen attached to the type material. Hence, Unique Name Anchor Strings
(UNAS if you like) can be given for each name that is governed by the Code.

So, in summary, we could have the following,
e.g.:

<VerbatimNameUsage>Idiochroma dorsale Pont.</VerbatimNameUsage>

<AcceptedName>Anchomenus dorsalis</AcceptedName>
<AcceptedNameAuthorDate>
Anchomenus dorsalis (Pontoppidan, 1763)</AcceptedNameAuthorDate>

... and the complete inventary of "UNAS" for the above example would read
something like:
<UNAS>ZS-Carabus_dorsalis</UNAS>
<UNAS>ZS-Carabus_dorsalis/Idiochroma_dorsale</UNAS>
<UNAS>ZS-Carabus_dorsalis/Platynus_dorsalis</UNAS>
<UNAS>ZS-Carabus_dorsalis/Agonum_dorsale</UNAS>
<UNAS>ZS-Carabus_dorsalis/Anchomenus_dorsalis</UNAS>

Best wishes,
Wolfgang
-------------------------------------------

Wolfgang Lorenz, Tutzing, Germany



2009/11/22 Peter DeVries <pete.devries at gmail.com>

> Maybe someone can make a proposal, or describe what they use?
>
> Not a rule that everyone has to follow, but a suggested form that people
> can
> use in conversation and when naming their database fields.
>
> So what so you call these forms of the name:
>
> Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771)
> Felis concolor Linnaeus, 1771
>
> and what do you call these forms of the name:
>
> Puma concolor
> Felis concolor
>
> So they can be properly understood in conversation and in this form
>
> <whatevernameforthis>Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771)</whatevernameforthis>
>
> <whatevernameforthis>Felis concolor</whatevernameforthis>
>
> - Pete
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 16, 2009 at 5:04 AM, Dmitry Mozzherin <dmozzherin at eol.org
> >wrote:
>
> > I would like to illustrate how Biodiversity Q/A works, and also get a
> clear
> > clear understanding of terms used in GNI. What is the difference between
> > 'Scientific name' and 'Scientific name string'?
> >
> > Here is the question in full:
> >
> >
> http://biodiversity.stackexchange.com/questions/5/what-is-the-difference-between-scientific-name-string-and-scientific-name-ter
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Dima
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> >
>
>
>
> --
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> Pete DeVries
> Department of Entomology
> University of Wisconsin - Madison
> 445 Russell Laboratories
> 1630 Linden Drive
> Madison, WI 53706
> GeoSpecies Knowledge Base
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>
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