Systematic biology is a discipline rooted in collections. These collections play important
roles in research and conservation and are integral to our efforts to educate society about …

Both classical taxonomy and DNA barcoding are engaged in the task of digitizing the living
world. Much of the taxonomic literature remains undigitized. The rise of open access …

DNA phylogenetic comparisons have shown that morphology-based species recognition
often underestimates fungal diversity. Therefore, the need for accurate DNA sequence data …

Abstract The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL, http://eol. org) aims to provide unprecedented
global access to a broad range of information about life on Earth. It currently contains 3.5 …

Continuous improvements in the resolution of three-dimensional imaging have led to an
increased application of these techniques in conventional taxonomic research in recent …

The time is ripe for a comprehensive mission to explore and document Earth's species. This
calls for a campaign to educate and inspire the next generation of professional and citizen …

The study of biodiversity spans many disciplines and includes data pertaining to species
distributions and abundances, genetic sequences, trait measurements, and ecological …

Taxonomists are arguably the most active annotators of the natural world, collecting and
publishing millions of phenotype data annually through descriptions of new taxa. By …

Better scientific knowledge of the poorly-known deep sea and areas beyond national
jurisdiction (ABNJ) is key to its conservation, an urgent need in light of increasing …

The field of systematics involves at least three major elements: biodiversity exploration
(inventory); taxonomic discovery and description (taxonomy); and the estimation of …