Memorandum by the International Trust
for Zoological Nomenclature
SUMMARY
The International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature
(ITZN) is the UK-based charity dedicated to the support of the
International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). ICZN
was founded in 1895, at a period of confusing instability in the
scientific naming of animals, and continues to be the internationally
recognised regulator of zoological nomenclature. ICZN is now poised
to provide its essential services in a manner that is dependable,
durable, and freely accessible to the world-wide community of
scientists and other users of its products through a web-based
development known as ZooBank.
It is essential for the scientific community
that ICZN is positioned to provide this complete service before
the end of the first decade of this new century. In the context
of the service provided by ICZN to the UK and international community
of systematic biologists, taxonomists and the many other users
of animal names, it is anomalous, if not incredible, that the
implementation of ZooBank should not be supported by UK national
or international grant-giving bodies. A serious re-appraisal of
the funding arrangements for ICZN is overdue. A regulatory body
of this importance to science should not be funded solely through
the voluntary efforts of members of a small UK-registered charity.
BACKGROUND
The International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature
(ITZN or "the Trust") is the UK-based charity dedicated
solely to the funding of the International Commission on Zoological
Nomenclature (ICZN or "the Commission"). The Commission
was founded in 1895 by the International Congress of Zoology,
out of earlier organisations that included such notable biologists
as Charles Darwin and Richard Owen. The aim of the Commission
was then, and is still, to bring stability to zoological nomenclature.
Stable nomenclature is at the heart of rigorous
communication about biodiversity. Species names provide the "anchor"
to which all taxonomic, ecological, molecular and conservation
data are attached. Legal protection and policy are also linked
with names, not actual (mortal) animals, on the assumption that
the groups indicated by the names are consistent through time
and among places. Scientific discussion relies on names having
unequivocal, context-independent meanings. Medical and veterinary
implementation requires indisputable identifications. Although
discovery and delineation of species may receive the emphasis
of high-profile press coverage, all taxonomic practice is crucially
dependent on a stable nomenclature to provide a steady platform
on which to build. ICZN is the single professional organization
devoted to ensuring that this work happens in a globally consistent
way providing continuity both for new species discoveries and
for the correction of errors in past works.
ICZN provides and regulates a uniform system
of zoological nomenclature ensuring that every animal has a unique
and universally accepted scientific name. Currently the Commission
is composed of 27 elected Commissioners from 19 countries around
the world. These are leading zoologists who collectively represent
all the major fields of zoology. In 2004 ICZN began a restructuring
and modernisation programme to match the expanding capacity of
information and communication technology (ICT) to underpin its
service to the international scientific community.
ZOOBANK
No analyses of patterns of biodiversity are
immune to problems of unreliable nomenclature. Unfortunately,
rates of error in linking names with their intended objects are
very high due to the non-persistent nature of web pages (URLs
regularly change, resulting in "link-rot"). Access to
definitive nomenclatural sources remains difficult and is a part
of biodiversity work that is often skimmed over by researchers.
Error rates can then perpetuate throughout the analyses, sometimes
multiplicatively, providing further examples of the adage "garbage
in, garbage out". In order to tackle this problem ICZN is
developing a web-based nomenclatural tool, known as ZooBank, that
will persistently maintain and disseminate nomenclaturally verified
data for animal names using globally unique identifiers (GUIDs)
for each animal name. This will then act as the source for "clean"
data for the many other downstream biodiversity tools such as
the large-scale taxonomic initiatives of EDIT, Tree of Life, etc.
This initiative, to provide a universal, open-access,
register of all species names, freely accessible via the World-Wide
Web, was first announced in the journal Nature in September
2005. Favourable comments followed in both the popular and more
specialised science press, and the concept has since received
the universal support of scientists and policy makers. ICZN now
has 117 Scientific Affiliates who have signed a Memorandum of
Cooperation supporting the aims and objectives of ICZN, including
ZooBank (Annex). A preliminary version of ZooBank, containing
1.6 million scientific names, was launched in August 2006 (www.zoobank.org)
with the registration interface still under development. The ultimate
achievement of ZooBank will mark the attainment of ICZN's major
objective, to provide enduring stability in nomenclature. It will
be of huge significance to taxonomists, present and future, and
the sciences dependent on their work, but will not eliminate the
permanent need for a regulatory commission (ICZN) to oversee the
process, with powers to resolve the more complex problems.
THE TRUST'S
PROSPECTS 2008-2010
Financial stability of the ICZN secretariat,
for the time being, is guaranteed by modest reserves held by the
Trust, annual income from sales of the Bulletin of Zoological
Nomenclature and of any future editions of the Code.
Accommodation for the ICZN Secretariat, generously provided by
the Natural History Museum, London, is not under threat. Under
existing rules, however, ICZN is ineligible for UK Research Council
funding, and the Trust receives no institutional support, UK government
or international funding (eg, UNESCO). The development of ZooBank,
arguably ICZN's most important current activity, therefore presents
a severe challenge to the Trust as the funding organisation. Given
the importance of ZooBank to the huge national and international
community of taxonomists, systematic biologists and the many other
users of animal names, now and into the future, it is anomalous,
if not incredible, that the funding for this revolution in the
working methods of ICZN should be wholly dependent on the voluntary
efforts of the members of a small UK-registered charity.
Initial costs will be incurred for retrospective
registration of animal names, ie, checking data against original
publications going back to 1758, a task that can best be undertaken
by experts in each specialised area of taxonomy. When the system
is established ICZN will retain its essential regulatory role,
ensuring a stable and "clean" nomenclature that is an
absolute necessity for all biodiversity work. Given that there
are at least 1.6 million described animal species, and perhaps
five to six times as many yet to be named, the ZooBank initiative
ranks as a large-scale priority for biodiversity classification
and management, ranking with other "big" science such
as medicine or astronomy.
At this stage, ITZN predicts that the cost of
implementing ZooBank will be £1M. We have conditionally been
pledged a quarter of this by the Gatsby Charitable Trust. ITZN
hopes that, if the UK scientific funding bodies take a lead, the
international community will respond in order to achieve the implementation
of ZooBank within the shortest possible time.
THE COMMITTEE'S
QUESTIONS
What is the state of systematics research and
taxonomy in the UK? What are the current research priorities?
What are the barriers, if any, to delivering these priorities?
Stable scientific names underpin systematics
research and taxonomic classifications. Since 1895, this stability
has been provided in zoology and all related fields of endeavour
(including agricultural, veterinary and medical research, parasitology,
the study of vectors of human, animal and plant diseases, etc.)
by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
(ICZN, or the "Commission"). The Commission consists
of 27 eminent zoologists from 19 countries, governed by a president
and council, with a secretariat staff operating from an office
in the Natural History Museum, London (NHM). The ICZN secretariat
oversees the periodic publication of the updated Code of Zoological
Nomenclature (the "Code"), which acts as the global
foundation for the regulation of animal names.
Nomenclatural problems arising from systematic
or taxonomic research, that require active intervention to arrive
at a stable solution (via the Commission's plenary power) are
put to the ICZN by the scientists involved. These applications
are published as technical papers and disseminated as widely as
possible for professional comment, before the Commissioners are
individually polled for their collective decision. The Cases,
Comments and definitive, binding Opinions reached by this process
are published in the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature,
with abstracts of Cases, Opinions and Comments (published in full)
freely available online via the ICZN website (www.iczn.org).
The current priority of ICZN is to bring animal nomenclature
into the 21st century by adopting IT/bioinformatics to the fullest
extent, ultimately providing the Commission's regulatory services
through a web-based system, freely accessible to those who use
scientific animal names. This hugely important project has been
titled ZooBank. ZooBank is recognized as the ultimate source
for robust and "clean" nomenclatural data both for established
animal names and for the registration of newly discovered species,
and is rapidly gaining the support of the broad scientific community
with over 100 scientific institutions and societies having signed
up to this initiative. Large scale biodiversity informatics projects
such as the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) lack the capacity and authority
to ensure stable nomenclature, with ZooBank being "a vital
partner" to their success (Jesse Ausubel, Chair of EOL Steering
Committee). The support for ZooBank extends across the spectrum
of taxonomy end-users, with comments such as the following not
uncommon:
"This accomplishment is a first major
step towards completing the Linnaean enterprise, which is essential
for mapping Earth's still poorly known fauna. With the firm foundation
ZooBank aims to provide, the rest of biology will be immensely
strengthened, and humanity correspondingly benefited"
(Professor Edward O. Wilson, Harvard University, leading authority
on biodiversity);
"This is a hugely significant step for
animal conservation. With ZooBank in place we will all have access
to a single reference list of animal names, and so discussions
about priority species and habitats can proceed with greater clarity
and speed." (Professor Georgina Mace OBE FRS, Imperial
College, London, leading authority on biodiversity).
What role do systematics and taxonomy play in
research into biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services and
climate change? Is that role recognised in the funding process?
Biotic response to climate change will determine
whether there is disruption of ecosystems and loss of their services
from invasive and introduced organisms. Accurate taxonomy is key
in all aspects of modelling, monitoring, and assessment of biotic
response to past climate change, however this is underpinned by
sound, universal and well-regulated nomenclature. Similarly, conservation
efforts are meaningless without a stable nomenclature that serves
the needs of legal protection and policy formulation, both of
which legislate on names, not individual entities. Nomenclature
is integral to all biodiversity and systematic research. However,
the ICZN is not a basic research organization, thus its work is
not eligible for research council funding. The ICZN is financially
supported by a UK-registered charity, the International Trust
for Zoological Nomenclature (ITZN or the "Trust"). The
Trust receives no institutional, governmental or international
funding and is run by a volunteer board. It is absurd that such
an important service to science should be dependent on charitable
donations from private sources.
Does the way in which systematics research is
organised, co-ordinated and funded best meet the needs of the
user community?
ICZN provides a vital service to the community
of users of animal names, as is evidenced by global attention
to our mission. The development of ZooBank will be the definitive
source for nomenclatural information for animals, and thus will
increase good taxonomic practice throughout the research community.
It will also be poised to ensure validity of the 16,000 to 18,000
new names for animals described each year (many more than among
plants or bacteria). Thus ZooBank, and the work of the ICZN, provide
both an axis and a hub for maintaining and disseminating high
quality data. As a critical link in high standard taxonomic practice
that both organizes and coordinates information, it is short-sighted
that the ICZN and ZooBank are under-funded and dependent on private
charitable and trust contributions.
What is the role of the major museums and collections
in taxonomy research? How are taxonomic collections curated and
funded?
Zoological nomenclature is founded on the identification
and safe custody of type specimens which (under the Code)
should be deposited at a museum or institute of recognised standing.
There is thus a fundamental relationship between a stable zoological
nomenclature and the responsible curation of specimens at these
institutions. The work of the ICZN adds value to collections;
the significance of type collections is dependent on the legitimacy
conferred by nomenclatural acts. The ICZN secretariat also relies
heavily on access to the library at the Natural History Museum,
South Kensington, which is the best collection of natural history
publications in the world. This regular, practical use of the
library increases its effectiveness on a global scale. Thus our
location within the museum is key to our effective functioning
and adds value to the core functions of the museum as an archive
of type specimens and literature. This key role deserves governmental
recognition and funding.
What progress has been made in developing web
based taxonomy? What can be done to ensure web based taxonomy
is reliable and of high quality?
ICZN and ZooBank are at the forefront of making
web-taxonomy accessible. The deployment of ZooBank will provide
a web-based regulatory system for a stable, high quality zoological
nomenclature, underpinning all animal sciences. The essential
software is already developed, a demonstration data set of 1.6
million names has been accessed from Zoological Record, and the
first newly described species have been registered. We are now
in need of specific funds for retrospective registration of unverified
names on a large scale to ensure completeness. This project will
require an expansion phase to be effective, but in the long term
will be self-supporting as the scientific community self-registers
names (in the manner of GenBank). In concert with development
of ZooBank, the ICZN will make facilitation of reliable web-based
taxonomy and the archiving of new species descriptions central
in developing the next edition of the Code (projected publication
time in 2010). Funds are now required for the implementation of
this essential project.
Does the UK have adequate numbers of trained taxonomists?
What is the state of training and education in systematics and
taxonomy?
ICZN is an international body, serving the international
community of scientists using animal names, but is based in the
UK due to the quality of the collections, library and history
of work on taxonomy. The Commission's services are constantly
in demand by this international community and, through its regulatory
role, ICZN adds value to the UK's taxonomic resources. As there
are severe shortages of taxonomic specialists, a fully-functioning
nomenclatural regulatory body must work through an active networking
process on a global scale. Current training in biology often lacks
the basics of nomenclatural practice. Given appropriate resources,
the ICZN is prepared to contribute to systematics and Code
related nomenclatural training programmes at a number of levels,
from introductory university courses to postgrad speciality courses.
We also see that eventually part of our mission is to provide
guidance for the active taxonomic community, to improve its understanding
of nomenclatural practice through ZooBank. In an idealized sense,
once ZooBank is fully established it will guarantee improved nomenclatural
practice through the Code compliant registration of all
new species and overall, decrease the traditional work of the
regulatory body. We recognize that the role of the ICZN will need
to evolve as genetic species descriptions and taxonomic practices
adapt to meet the biodiversity crisis. We are uniquely poised
to meet these demands and expect that the role and function of
ICZN will increase exponentially in coming years.
Annex 1
TRUSTEES OF
ITZN & COMMISSIONERS OF
ICZN
| Members of the Trust
| Members of the Commission |
The Earl of Cranbrook (Chairman) (U.K.)
| Dr M. Alonso-Zarazaga (Spain) |
| Dr P.L. Forey (Secretary and Managing Director) (U.K.)
| Dr N. G. Bogutskaya (Russia) |
| Dr H.M.F.P. Andrðéñ (Belgium)
| Dr N. G. Bogutskaya (Russia) |
| Dr M.N. Arai (Canada) | Prof D. J. Brothers (South Africa)
|
| Mr H.S. Barlow (Malaysia) | Prof D. G. Fautin (U.S.A.)
|
| Prof D.J. Brothers (South Africa) | Dr M. J. Grygier (Japan)
|
| Prof W.T. Chang (China) | Dr R. B. Halliday (Australia)
|
| Dr J.A. Compton (U.K.) | Prof I. M. Kerzhner (Russia)
|
| Mr P. Cooke (U.K.) | Dr M. Kottelat (Switzerland)
|
| Dr M. Dixon (U.K.) | Dr F.-T. Krell (U.S.A.)
|
| Prof J. Forest (France) | Dr S. O. Kullander (Sweden)
|
| Prof R.A. Fortey (U.K.) | Prof Dr G. Lamas (Peru)
|
| Prof J.I. dos R. Furtado (Singapore) | Prof S. Lim (Malaysia)
|
| Dr M.K. Howarth (U.K.) | Prof S. F. Mawatari (Japan)
|
| Dr T. Jones (U.K.) | Prof A. Minelli (Italy)
|
| Dr S. Knapp (U.K.) | Dr P. K. L. Ng (Singapore)
|
| Prof Dr O. Kraus (Germany) | Dr T. Pape (Denmark)
|
| Dr Ch. Kropf (Switzerland) | Dr L. Papp (Hungary)
|
| Dr M. Luc (France) | Prof D. J. Patterson (U.S.A.)
|
| Mr A. McCullough (U.K.) | Dr R. Pyle (U.S.A.)
|
| Dr E. Macpherson (Spain) | Dr G. Rosenberg (U.S.A.)
|
| Prof A. Minelli (Italy) | Prof D. X. Song (China)
|
| Dr T. Nishikawa (Japan) | Prof P. S tys (Czech Republic)
|
| Dr J.L. Norenburg (U.S.A.) | Mr J. van Tol (The Netherlands)
|
| Dr A. Polaszek (U.K.) | Dr Z.-Q. Zhang (New Zealand)
|
| Dr M.J. Oates (U.K.) | |
| Mr N.J. Robinson (U.K.) | |
| Mr R. Steele (U.K.) | |
| Dr A. Wakeham-Dawson (U.K.) |
|
| Dr G. Walker (U.K.) | |
| |
Annex 2
ICZN Affiliates
Academia Sinica, Taiwan
Acarological Society of America
American Arachnological Society
American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists
American Fisheries Society
American Malacological Society
American Museum of Natural History
American Society of Animal Science
American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
American Society of Mammalogists
Aquarium—Musðéñe de Zoologie
de l'Universitðéñ de Liðèñge
Arachnologische Gesellschaft e. V.
Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Institute für Bienenforschung
e.V.
Arbeitskreis Diptera
Asian Society for Environmental Protection
Asociaciðóñn Entomolðóñxica
Galega "Luis Iglesias"
Association of Applied IPM Ecologists
Association of Field Ornithologists
Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians
Australian Society for the study of Animal Behaviour
Australian Academy of Science
Australian Entomological Society
Australian Museum
Australian National Insect Collection
Australian Society for Limnology Inc.
Australian Society for Parasitology
Australian Society of Herpetologists
BirdLife International
Bombay Natural History Society
British Arachnological Society
British Dragonfly Society
Canadian Society of Zoologists
Chicago Herpetological Society
China Zoological Society
Coleopterists Society
Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland
Conservation International
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation,
Entomology
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta
Department of Biology, University College London
Department of Zoology, University of New Hampshire
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Herpetologie und Terrarienkunde
e. V.
Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft e. V.
Entomological Society of America
Entomological Society of New Zealand
Entomological Society of Southern Africa
Estonian University of Life Sciences
Federation of Animal Science Societies
Florida Museum of Natural History
Freshwater Biological Association, U.K.
Gesellschaft deutschspr. Odonatologen e.V.
Gesellschaft für Schmetterlingsschutz e.V.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility
Harrison Institute
Ichthyological Society of Japan
Institute of Evolutionary Biology, The University of Edinburgh
Institute of Systematics and Evolution of animals, Polish
Academy of Sciences
Institute of Zoology, London
Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus
International Bryozoology Association
International Palaeontological Association
International Society of Hymenopterists
International Society of Zoological Sciences
Internationaler Entomologischer Verein e. V.
International Federation of Tropical Medicine
Japanese Society of Systematic Zoology
Koninklijke Antwerpse Vereniging voor Entomologie v.z.w.
Koninklijke Belgische Vereniging voor Entomologie
Landcare Research, New Zealand
Latvijas Entomologijas biedr~ba
Linnean Society of London
Lithuanian Entomological Society
Marine Biological Association
Marine Conservation Society
Micropalaeontological Society
Münchner Entomologische Gesellschaft e.V.
Museo de Zoologia, Universidad de Navarra
Museo di Zoologia, Universitðáñ di
Roma "La Sapienza"
Musðéñum d'histoire naturelle de la
Ville de Genðèñve
Museu de Zoologia Universidade de Sðãño
Paulo
Museum für Naturkunde Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Museum of the North, University of Alaska
Museum voor Dierkunde van de Universiteit Gent
Natal Museum, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
National Biodiversity Network Trust
Natural History Museum, London
New Zealand Marine Sciences Society
North American Benthological Society
North of England Zoological Society
Organization of Nematologists of Tropical America
Royal Society of New Zealand
Royal Society of Victoria
School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol
School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Swansea
Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft
Slovenskðáñ entomologickðáñ
spolocnost'
Sociedad Hispano-Luso-Americana de Lepidopterologia
Societa Entomologica Italiana
Societea Lepidopterologica Romana
Society of Population Ecology, Japan
Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity
Southern Californian Association of Marine Invertebrate Taxonomists
Strickland Museum of Entomology, University of Alberta
Swedish Museum of Natural History
University of Alberta, Museum of Zoology
Vlaamse Vereniging voor Entomologie
Wiener Coleopterologen-Verein
Wildlife Conservation Society
Wildlife Trusts
World Association of Copepodologists
Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen
Zoological Society of Bangladesh
Zoological Society of London
Zoological Society of Southern Africa
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