[Taxacom] GBIF: perpetuating probably defunct unpublished names

[Jim Croft]

far too sensible... you poor deluded man... ;)

jim

On Sun, May 23, 2010 at 9:02 PM, Paul Kirk <p.kirk at cabi.org> wrote:
> name orthography and authorship data correctly belong in the relevant nomenclator ... fix it there, once, and everyone who 'uses' that name should then link to that source - problem solved.
>
> Paul
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu on behalf of Walker, Ken
> Sent: Sun 23/05/2010 11:24
> To: 'David Remsen (GBIF)'; Stephen Thorpe
> Cc: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> Subject: Re: [Taxacom] GBIF: perpetuating probably defunct unpublished names
>
>
>
>>- The data published through GBIF are not qualitatively transformed
> from the collections where they originate.
>
> But they do.
>
> Look at the authorship of Scolytus scolytus -
>
> In GBIF, EOL and Catalogue of Life 2007 the authorship is incorrectly listed a Wood and Bright 1992:
>
> GBIF:  http://data.gbif.org/species/14616352/
>
> EOL: http://www.eol.org/pages/691357
>
> Catalogue of Life 2007: http://www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2007/show_species_details.php?record_id=4242138
>
> However, in ITIS the authorship is corrected listed as (Fabricius, 1775).
>
> The problem began when a mash up was made from the Electronic Catalogue of Curculionoidea website.
>
> It correctly listed the authorship of Scolytus scolytus and cited the publication of Wood and Bright 1992 as the source.  Somehow, the mash up dropped the authorship name and replaced it with the citation name. Then it spread ....
>
> Now, almost every weevil that occurs in North America and was listed in the Wood and Bright 1992 publication has Wood and Bright as the author of the those species: Here is the EOL Scoltyus species list.  Run your eye down the list to see how many species have Wood and Bright 1992 as their authorship:  http://www.eol.org/pages/49702
>
> I sent emails to GBIF and EOL without receiving a reply and so like hitting your head against a brick wall -- I felt better when I stopped.
>
> I am beginning to wonder whether discrete taxon treatment websites are indeed better than those that attempt to do all.
>
> Ken
>
> Ken Walker
> Museum Victoria
> Australia
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-- 
_________________
Jim Croft ~ jim.croft at gmail.com ~ +61-2-62509499 ~
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'A civilized society is one which tolerates eccentricity to the point
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 - Robert Frost, poet (1874-1963)