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An ABC tool for species names

Added on 2011-02-28 15:18:56 by Appeltans, Ward
The correct spelling of a species name is not always trivial (which one is correct: Cirrhitichthys, Cirrhitychthys or Cirritichthys?) and it is very difficult for non-taxonomists to keep up with the valid status of species names. Check our powerful online name matching tool to standardize your names with WoRMS.
This is a semiautomated name validation tool to crosscheck the spelling and taxonomic status of species against the WoRMS database.

The tool is an implementation of the new TAXAMATCH matching algorithm written by Tony Rees (CSIRO, Australia), which comprises a suite of custom filters and tests used in succession on genus, species epithet, plus authority where supplied. We also used the Scientific Names Parser written by Dmitry Mozzherin.

The tool returns standard taxonomic information in a userfriendly format (e.g. MS Excel or tab delimited text file). The user needs to upload a list of species names, match the columns with the fields in the database and the system will return the file with valid names (it corrects the spelling if there are close matches found and notifies when the name is an unaccepted synonym ), the authority and publication date, the hierarchical classification, quality status (expert validated or not) and the checklist GUIDs. When there are multiple potential matches the system provides a picklist.

The next version of this tool will also include a geo-match (to compare national/regional checklists with distributions held in the taxonomic databases), and will make it possible to match on species epithet and authority, regardless of genus names (to rule out different genus-species combinations).

It is a very popular tool, already appreciated by thousands of users (with several files uploaded on a daily basis).

Find out more on the link below.

Link: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=match



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