New paper in Organisms Diversity & Evolution

13.07.2021

Towards a global list of accepted species III. Independence and stakeholder inclusion

Conix S, Garnett ST, Thiele KR Christidis L, van Dijk PP, Bánki OS, Barik SK, Buckeridge JS, Costello MJ, Hobern D, Kirk PM, Lien A, Nikolaeva S, Pyle RL, Thomson SA, Zhang Z-Q & Zachos FE. 2021
Org Divers Evol 21, 631–643 (2021). doi.org/10.1007/s13127-021-00496-x. Link. Published online 13 July 2021

Abstract

A global consensus list of the world’s species must be based on the best available taxonomic research, and its contents should not be biased towards certain political or social aims. At the same time, users of any global list must be involved or consulted in its establishment to ensure that the list meets their needs. This paper argues that while these two desiderata— independence and inclusion—might seem to be in conflict, they are in fact compatible. More precisely, it suggests the roles taxonomists and users could play in establishing and maintaining a global consensus list to make sure that this list is both inclusive and independent.