1. TAXONOMY INTRODUCTION Understanding the world around you!|
This presentation was compiled by BioNET (Posa Skelton & Kornelia Rassmann) with input from
INTRODUCTION
Henrik Enghoff Natural History Museum of Denmark
Ulf Gärdenfors ArtDatabanken, Swedish Species Information Centre
Fabian Haas African Insect Science for Food
and Health
Chris Lyal Natural History Museum, London
Yves Samyn Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
Ensifera ensifera (Boissonneau, 1840) Drawing: Ernst Haeckel

2. WHO AM I? INTRODUCTION Want to know? Ask a taxonomist
The Earth is inhabited by many creatures of which we know and millions more that we don’t know of. Only through the help of taxonomy can we begin to unravel these mysteries and will we be able to quantify our Biological World. How can you manage something that is yet to be measured?
Or click on this link…
© Stuart Wynne

3. TAXONOMY IS… the science of TAXONOMY IS organisms
discovering naming describing classifying
organisms
TAXONOMY IS
Taxonomy is an organized discipline with clear rules and procedures. It is the ‘theory and practice of classifying organisms [International Code of Zoological Nomenclature].
Taxonomy is the foundation of all biological work. It is the broad umbrella that embraces the various scientific disciplines dealing with organisms. Taxonomy is recognized by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, to which most countries are signatories, as a critical ingredient for its implementation.
The name is derived from the Greek words: taxis, which means arrangement or division; and nomos, which means law. Taxonomy is therefore a ‘law of arrangement or division’. [Prof. Henrik Enghoff, Natural History Museum of Denmark]
to understand biodiversity (and more…)
Taxonomy from Greek words:
taxis = division/arrangement; nomos = law

4. DISCOVERING TAXONOMY IS
The discovery of new organisms is the first step of taxonomy. Every year, new discoveries are made throughout the world, as taxonomists explore new areas, or new tools become avail-able for analyzing specimens.
TAXONOMY IS
Dracula fish
Danionella dracula Discovered in Burma Documented 2009
© Ralf Britz | Natural History Museum, London

5. NAMING TAXONOMY IS Electrolux addisoni (Compagno & Heemstra, 2007)
What’s in a name?
A scientific name is the passport by which all organisms are known.
TAXONOMY IS
A name usually contains some element of the description such as this newly described sting-ray from South Africa. The genus Electrolux reflects the fact that this ray gives off electric current, and displays lights throughout its body. The species name, addisoni honours the collector – Henry Addisone.
Photo: Phil Heemstra | Wikimedia Commons
Not your average vacuum cleaner!

6. DESCRIBING TAXONOMY IS
Part of this process involves the comparison to related organisms to confirm if the species is new.
TAXONOMY IS
Taxonomy is about describing organisms. The terms used for description vary for organisms, such as those shown in the frog slide above. By using the correct terminologies, other frog specialists (Herpetologists) will understand the characters of the frog.
Hypsiboas calcaratus (Troschel, 1848) | Photo: P. J. R. Kok

7. CLASSIFYING TAXONOMY IS Kingdom - Animalia Phylum - Chordata
My name is Dolly!
Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Mammalia
Infraclass - Eutheria
Order - Artiodactyla
Family - Bovidae
Subfamily - Caprinae
Genus - Ovis
Species - Ovis aries
TAXONOMY IS
Once an organism is discovered, described and named it is then classified to show its relationship with other organisms. Classification tends to change as new discoveries are made that prove or disprove the relationships among species. Molecular genetics has significantly changed our understanding of the relationships of organisms, consequently leading to the modification of traditional classification systems.

8. CLASSIFICATION matters in your daily life
Classification is part of our everyday life.
It allows us to place things in order, such as in a stock inventory in a supermarket.
Would you look for dairy products next to house-hold cleaning items?
NAMES MATTER
Photo: G. R. South

9. NAMES matter in your daily life?
Photo: Sergio Kaminski | Wikimedia commons
Drawing: Peter Aertsen
NAMES MATTER
Imagine if people and things didn’t have a name…
Photo: Wikimedia commons | public domain

10. NAMES are needed for communication
Muis
Ratón
マウス
Common or vernacular names are useful for everyday communication but are limited by location and language
فأس
Ποντίκι
NAMES MATTER
Souris 쥐
Мышь
We communicate about species using common or vernacular names, but these names are often limited by language and location, and are likely to vary from place to place.
Mouse
Mus
Maus 老鼠
© Kornelia Rassmann

11. SCIENTIFIC NAMES for global communication
Alternanthera philoxeroides
Bursaphelenchus xylophilus
NAMES MATTER
Photo: Gary Buckingham USDA Agricultural Research Service, United States | forestryimages.org
Photo: L.D. Dwinell USDA Forest Service, United States | forestryimages.org
Pseudophilotes sinaicus
A scientific name ensures that we are talking about the same organism regardless of our geographic location or language
Photo: BioNET-NAFRINET

12. Knowing the right NAME - saves money
NAMES MATTER
The use of a wrong scientific name can be costly!
In the Philippines, it was thought that only one species of black bug (Scotinophara coarctata) was responsible for crop damage. Taxonomic investigations revealed 11 species, of which only three were responsible for the damage. This knowledge saves farmers dollars by only applying insecticides to crops where the three pest species are present.
Scotinophara lurida Photo: Natasha Wright, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org
Photo: Oliver Spalt | Wikimedia commons
Taxonomy helped to identify 24 different ‘black bugs’ in the Philippines,
of which only 2 are pests found feeding on rice. This knowledge saves millions of dollars on the use of insecticides for control and helps to safeguard the environment.
See case study no. 39

13. NOT knowing the NAME - may kill!
NAMES MATTER
Taxonomy enables us to understand Biodiversity. You need to understand the organism around you to know which ones are safe to eat, which ones are poisonous, and those that have medicinal benefits or other uses. For example, over centuries people have learned - usually by trial and error - to distinguish between poisonous and edible mushrooms, as illustrated in the slide.
Boletus aurantiacus | Photo: Wikimedia commons | public domain
To eat or not to eat? Ask a mushroom taxonomist (mycologist)!

14. LINNAEUS NAMES MATTER "If you do not know the names of things,
the knowledge of
them is useless"
Critica Botanica 1737
NAMES MATTER
Carl von Linné (or Linnaeus), the “father of taxonomy”, laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature - the discipline of naming species.
Carl von Linné, Drawing: AMNH Library
Linnaeus linked specific names for everyday use with a descriptive name following a binomial system: a one-word name denotes the genus (e.g. the genus Canis including all wolves, dogs and dingos) and a two-word name such as Canis lupus („wolf“) for the individual species within the genus. Linnaeus introduced this consistent two-word nomenclature for species in comprehensive works which naturalists soon found indispensable. During the second-half of the 18th century his system was generally adopted by botanists and zoologists.
Linnaeus gave classification the consistency and precision we need when we describe bio-diversity, trade commodities, buy seeds for farming, manage pests, or deal with any other of the many areas in which humans need taxonomic knowledge.

15. RELEVANCE AND LINKS TO BIODIVERSITY
© A. De Kesel
Taxonomy is beneficial to many sectors that either work directly or indirectly with biodiversity. Whether you are engaged with import/export trade, food security, medicine & public health, climate change, biosecurity, agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, veterinary science, mining, tourism, farming - or working in the kitchen, aspects of all these sectors require knowledge of the Living World.
TAXONOMY - BENEFITS
Taxonomy enables us to understand our biological diversity.

16. COMPREHENSION OF THE LIVING WORLD
© Kornelia Rassmann
Diversity makes our living world complex.
Taxonomy helps us comprehend this diversity by arranging and categorizing our living world into intelligible units.
TAXONOMY - BENEFITS

17. TAXONOMY benefits human well-being
Taxonomy delivers basic and indispensible infor-mation for many fields of human interest including biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, biosecurity , agriculture, aquaculture, health, tourism, trade,
and many more.
TAXONOMY - BENEFITS
Photo: Bigstockphoto.com
Photo: ???
Photo: Posa A. Skelton

18. TAXONOMY is of global importance
It supports informed decision making of policy and regulatory bodies, provides hidden but pivotal services for many industries (e.g. agriculture, pharmaceutical), and is fundamental infrastructure for the Millennium Development Goals of poverty alleviation, combating disease, and environmental sustainability.
TAXONOMY - BENEFITS
© Kornelia Rassmann

19. A KNOWLEDGE BASE for other sciences
Taxonomy supports various scientific disciplines including conservation science, evolutionary biology, biodiscovery, ecology, biogeography, medicine and many more.
TAXONOMY - BENEFITS
Photo: G. R. South
Taxonomy is not only a service to other biological disciplines such as evolutionary biology, conservation science, ecology, biogeography, phylogeny, etc., but is an integral part of other sciences, too, such as medicine, chemistry, pharmacy, and many more.
Photo: BioNET-MESOAMERINET

20. BIODIVERSITY Conservation
By knowing our biodiversity we are able to conserve it and to sustainably utilize it.
For example:
Numerous nature reserves have been established because of the discovery of
a rare species, or
rediscovery of a species thought
to be extinct.
TAXONOMY - BENEFITS
Taxonomy is a knowledge base for conserving and sharing the benefits of biodiversity. By knowing our biodiversity we are able to conserve it and to sustainably utilize it for the benefit of communities. For example, eco-tourism provides possible income for often remote communities in the developing world, as visitors want to know about the environment they are in and learn the taxonomic names (local and scientific) of the biodiversity they explore.
© Posa A. Skelton
Brachylophus bulabula – a new endemic iguana of Fiji

21. CLIMATE CHANGE adaptation
Distributions of species are expected to shift as a con-sequence of climate change.
Taxonomic collections provide us with a permanent record of the historical distribu-tion of species, allowing the prediction of extinction, pest and disease prevalence and supporting ecosystem
adaption measures.
TAXONOMY - BENEFITS
© Gert Brovad

22. INVASIVES & PEST mangement
The beetle Cyrtobagous salviniae as a biocontrol for the weed Salvinia molesta, a major aquatic pest.
Invasive species affect nearly every ecosystem type on the planet and pose a big threat to bio-diversity. Managing these risks calls for experienced and adequately equipped taxonomists able to pro-vide the species informa-tion and rapid identifica-tion tools necessary for managers and society.
TAXONOMY - BENEFITS
Taxonomy enables correct identification of species, including pests (Salvinia sp.) and their predators (Cyrtobagous salviniae). This allows for the application of biological control for management of invasive species.
Photo: Katherine Parys, Louisiana State University, United States
See case study no. 27

23. POLICY/DECISION MAKING
Taxonomic information assists with making policies and other regulatory frameworks.
For example:
the Convention for the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES ), relies on correct taxonomic information to allow proper control of the trade of vulnerable species, such as orchids.
The CITES Appendices are lists of species afforded different levels or types of protection from over-exploitation.
TAXONOMY - BENEFITS
Taxonomy provides the information to assist with making policies and other regulatory frameworks. For example, the Convention for the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), relies on correct taxonomic information to allow it to properly control the trade of vulnerable species.
Almost all orchids are listed by CITES, many in Appendix II which includes species that are not necessarily now threatened with extinction but may become so unless trade is closely controlled.
© Martin Voggenreiter clockwise: Ophrys fusca, Orchis italica, Cypripedium calceolus, Ophrys lutea

24. BIODISCOVERY & HEALTH TAXONOMY - BENEFITS
Medicinal plants are important in many parts of the world, and taxonomy provides us with the identity of those that are useful, such as the Noni fruit.
TAXONOMY - BENEFITS
© Posa Skelton - Morinda citrifolia
Marine sponges are a good source of compounds useful for drugs, food ingredients and other materials of commercial application. Taxonomy helps discovering and identifying these.
© Stuart Wynne - Niphates digitalis

25. BIOSECURITY & TRADE TAXONOMY - BENEFITS
When an unknown insect is found in an agricultural shipment, global commerce is slowed and
shipments are held at great cost pending identification. Rapidly available taxonomic support saves money.
TAXONOMY - BENEFITS
Alleged presence of Karnal bunt (fungus) in Australian wheat led to the rejection of a shipment to Pakistan. Taxonomy resolved that the spores were from a related, non-invasive species and the $4billion wheat export trade was resumed.
Wheat exports to Pakistan were rejected because of (alleged) Karnal bunt presence in shipments. Karnal bunt is not known to occur in Australia: Spore look-a-likes include: Tilletia walkeri – ryegrass – Australia; Tilletia horrida – rice – not in Australia; Tilletia ehrhartae – Ehrharta – Australia; Tilletia rugispora – Paspalum – not in Australia. Samples were surveyed from every port wheat store in Australia – a national diagnostic protocol being in place. On the basis of herbarium comparison, T. indica-like spores were found in 60% of samples, but not T. indica. The fungus was determined as T. ehrhartae. This reassured the trading partners that Australian trade is science-based, leading to a resumption of the $4billion wheat export trade.
Tilletia indica|Photo: Ruben Durán, Washington State University, Bugwood.org
For a similar case study see case study no. 8

26. POVERTY REDUCTION & FOOD SECURITY
Poverty alleviation, food security and biodiversity conservation are inextricably intertwined. Globally, poverty and food insecurity are often found where biodiversity loss is especially pronounced.
Taxonomic knowledge helps to sustain healthy ecosystems in developing countries, where we find the greatest biological diversity on earth, but also the highest number of low-income rural people threatened by biodiversity loss.
TAXONOMY - BENEFITS
© bluerain | Dreamstime.de
© imagedirekt.de

27. TAXONOMY: advancing our knowledge
18,500 species were
described as new in 2007
To date about 1.8 million species have been described, yet, estimates of the absolute species number range from million.
Just one example: In a study of about 500 Australian cricket species 76% of these were described as new.
From Otte, D., and R. D. Alexander The Australian Crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.
Austroicetes vulgaris | Wikimedia Commons | some rights reserved
THE CHALLENGE

28. Not just the BIG & CUDDLY matter
Taxonomy is not just about the charismatic creatures known to everyone, such as the Giant Panda, Blue Whale and Polar Bears.
THE CHALLENGE
© Tatiana Goydenko | Dreamstime.com
It is also about the small creatures that drive our ecosystems. Some of these small organisms may have significant impacts on our lives both in positive (e.g. yeast) and negative ways (e.g. malaria mosquitoes)!
© Josef Szasz–Fabian | Dreamstime.com 28

29. What a WONDEROUS WORLD THE CHALLENGE
Our planet holds many wonders and treasures - new species are being discovered each day yet these finds
often get little attention
from Homo sapiens.
This species –
first described in 2008 –
is the smallest known
seahorse with a standard length of 13.8mm and an app. height of 11.5mm.
THE CHALLENGE
Hippocampus satomiae | © Rudie Kuiter
© John Sear 29

30. Getting interested in TAXONOMY ?
Here you find more information on ...
Taxonomy
Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI, UN Convention of Biological Diversity)|
European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy (EDIT) |Natural History Museum, London, UK) |Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences | BioNET
Species
Encyclopedia of Life (EoL) |Wikispecies | ARKive |IUCN Red List | Top 10 New Species Discoveries International Institute for Species Exploration (IIES) | Tree of Life | Census of Marine Life (CoML) | Catalogue of Life (ITIS, Species2000) | Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
The importance of taxonomy, species & biodiversity BioNET case studies |GTI case study on taxonomy & climate change |
UN Convention of Biodiversity – 2010 International Year of Biodiversity
INFORMATION
Photos: BioNET-SAFRINET, BioNET ANDINONET, BioNET-EAFRINET, BioNET-NAFRINET