Taxacom: a class of errors in Worms (and similar databases)

[Mikhail Daneliya]

Thank you!
There are mistakes in taxonomic publications as well, abundant. It is just
normal to err. So, the best practice is you noticed a mistake, write to the
subject editor in WORMS. It is their constant dedication to correct such
mistakes.
Sincerely,
Mikhail

On Mon, 24 Feb 2025, 07:50 Erikjan Rijkers via Taxacom, <
taxacom at lists.ku.edu> wrote:

> Op 2/24/25 om 00:06 schreef Geoff Read:
> > perhaps not a good example of the general situation in a database
>
> Perhaps - but it's not exactly an accidental error:
>
> Of the names in the GBIF backbone file (admittedly from 202308) which
> has 2,614,593 accepted species names (in 268,274 genera), there is more
> than 1 % erroneously unparenthesized.
>
>  From GBIF name records that have status='ACCEPTED':
>
> [...]
> Zygopleura Koken, 1892  | Zygopleura plebia Herrick, 1887
> Zygosoma Labbé, 1899    | Zygosoma gibbosum Greeff, 1880
> Zygota Förster, 1856    | Zygota congener Zetterstedt, 1840
> Zynodes Whalley, 1970   | Zynodes strigerella Hampson, 1903
> Zyzzyva T.L.Casey, 1922 | Zyzzyva squamosa C.H.Boheman, 1844
> (28836 rows)
>
> The 'accepted' names from checklistbank.org (from 202502) are 0.5%
> erroneously unparenthesized (~13,000 names).
>
> >
> > In WoRMS I think a general search for instances of lack of parenthesis
> where there is a younger genus name requires the WoRMS database managers to
> do the search. Editors & users don't have the complex search capability to
> find the mismatches.
> >
> > So, as Mark Costello suggested, an approach to the WoRMS data team to
> investigate for other instances would be a great idea.
>
> Surely the biologists/curators (who I would expect might be on TAXACOM)
> should instruct their own technical people.
>
> Erikjan
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