AnimalBase

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The AnimalBase database is a project of the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen for the digitization of zoological literature.

The aim is to digitize early zoological literature and to enable copyright-free open access to these works. In addition, hand-checked and verified lists of zoological generic and species names are made available to the public as a free resource.

AnimalBase started in 2004 and, especially in the initial phase, made a significant contribution to opening up the early zoological literature to a worldwide group of users. This is considered useful because, above all, the literature from before 1800 is very difficult to access for research, but is urgently needed for taxonomic work .

The public use of AnimalBase is not restricted or subject to conditions. AnimalBase covers all zoological disciplines. In the field of biodiversity informatics , AnimalBase is unique in that it links names of zoological genera and species with their initial descriptions , with a focus on literature and names from before 1800.

history

The AnimalBase project was launched in 2003 and funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The database and web interface were developed in 2004 and put online in 2005. The web interface was designed to work without any problems even with very outdated computer systems and browsers .

From 2003 to 2005 around 400 zoological publications from 1550 to 1770 were digitized. Around 10,000 zoological names and their links to the original works were entered into the database. In a second project period (2008–2011) further works were digitized and tens of thousands more zoological names were extracted from the original sources and linked to the digitized initial descriptions. AnimalBase was one of the founding members of the European section of the Biodiversity Heritage Library in 2009 .

Digitization and linking to digitized literature of other origins

The early zoological works are digitized under the highest quality standards by the Göttingen Digitization Center (GDZ) of the Lower Saxony State and University Library in Göttingen (one of the largest German libraries with around 4.5 million volumes). AnimalBase may also link to digitized works from other providers, for example the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) or Gallica , provided that their offers represent public domain content.

Extracting taxonomic names from literature

Zoological generic and species names that were introduced in early zoological works are manually transferred to the database, including the original spelling and corrected spelling of the names, type localities and the page numbers on which the name was introduced in the work.

Furthermore, the names are cross-checked with entries in two other databases, Sherborn's Index Animalium (1902, 1922–1933) and the Nomenclator Zoologicus von Neave (1939/1940, updated). The nomenclature status of names is being reviewed against the current edition of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). Occasional discrepancies between the old databases and the results of the AnimalBase team, for example with regard to nomenclature priority or incorrect spelling, may be discussed in the comment field, which is available for each taxon entered . The entire input process follows the AnimalBase standard.

AnimalBase standard

Species and generic names are entered manually into the database, checking the initial description. Entering a taxon name comprises the following components:

  • The original spelling of the name in the first description is checked for correctness with regard to the applicable nomenclature rules (Code of the International Rules for Zoological Nomenclature ICZN, current edition).
  • Species names are entered in combination with the genus name to which they were assigned in the first description. If the genus name was misspelled by the author who wrote the species description, the species name will be combined with the correctly spelled genus name by the AnimalBase team.
  • Any original spelling of a taxon name that may be incorrect according to today's ICZN criteria is entered in the corresponding field (original spelling), whereby diacritical marks , ligations, capital letters for species names, hyphens, spaces between parts of the species name, incorrect subsequent spellings of generic names in a The generic-species combination used by the author can be quoted unchanged.
  • The name of the author is entered, basically as stated on the title page of the original source. Example: Linnæus 1758, Linné 1766.
  • The year or publication date is noted as specified by the nomenclature rules (actual publication date).
  • The gender treatment is indicated (changeable or non-changeable species names, with regard to the grammar rules of post-classical Latin). In many cases it is difficult to decide whether a Latin name is a ( declinable ) adjective or not; therefore, the AnimalBase entries are not one hundred percent reliable in this regard.
  • A link to the digitized publication containing the original description is given.
  • The page on which the name was introduced in the original publication (i.e. where the name was first mentioned and made available) is indicated. If the described animal is shown on a picture board in the factory and no names are given on the boards, this is not necessarily noted in the AnimalBase.
  • The type locality is entered as stated in the first description, if it is easily recognizable or implicitly derived from the work. This procedure is imprecise, as the type locality is actually the place from which the eponymous types come (which are not researched by the AnimalBase team). Nevertheless, this information can often represent helpful additional information.
  • The higher animal group to which the taxon belongs is indicated.
  • Entries are checked with the Animalium index and (in the case of generic names) with the Zoologicus noun. Incorrect entries (names used by the first author but previously described were often incorrectly listed by Sherborn as new names for later authors) as well as incorrect spellings of names in these databases are not transferred to AnimalBase if they are recognized as such.
  • Incorrect subsequent spellings (incorrect later spellings) are not generally accepted as new taxa, but can be entered and discussed as not available if they are listed as a new name in the Animalium index or if they are otherwise important.
  • All animal groups are treated equally according to the rules of the ICZN code (names of fish follow the same rules as insect names)

This input standard allows quick and easy access to the basic data from the initial description of a taxon. The AnimalBase team does not adapt the spelling or authorship of each individual originally described name to the spelling used in today's databases of different regions or animal groups and without a uniform standard, but strictly adheres to the original works.

The primary goal of AnimalBase is to provide links to the digitized initial descriptions. It can also be used to check correct spellings and authorship of zoological names. In this regard, AnimalBase is potentially a helpful update to Sherborn's Index Animalium.

use

AnimalBase also offers the option of combining original names with their current taxonomic affiliation (currently used combination of genus and species). Detailed biological information and images are available (and are constantly being expanded), for example for around 3000 European non- marine mollusks , including more than 8000 available photos.

AnimalBase is a joint project open to the public. Every registered employee has the opportunity to correct data or enter additional data. This includes uploading (copyright-free) images of the animal species, entering biological data including measurements and diagnostic characteristics, distribution data and the current protection status in the Red List of Endangered Species . It is expressly permitted to use data and images made available by the AnimalBase team on other websites (copy or link).

swell

  1. ↑ Holden, C. 2007. Netwatch: taxonomy, the early years. - Science 315: p. 1643.
  2. ↑ Official AnimalBase project page (last accessed on August 31, 2010)

Web links

  1. AnimalBase: http://www.animalbase.org
  2. Index Animalium: http://www.sil.si.edu/digitalcollections/indexanimalium/
  3. Nomenclator Zoologicus: http://uio.mbl.edu/NomenclatorZoologicus/
  4. Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL): http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
  5. BHL Wiki: http://biodivlib.wikispaces.com/About
  6. Gallica : http://gallica.bnf.fr/?lang=EN
  7. SUB Göttingen: http://www.sub.uni-goettingen.de/
  8. Digitization center of the SUB Göttingen (GDZ): http://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/
  9. ICZN (International Commission for Zoological Nomenclature): http://www.iczn.org/
  10. ICZN Wiki (forum for suggestions for changes in the next code release): http://iczn.ansp.org/