AnimalBase
The AnimalBase database is one of the Georg-August -Universität Göttingen project and was launched in 2004. The aim is to digitize early zoological literature and to enable copyright-free open-access access to these works. In addition, the public will be checked by hand and placed verified lists of zoological genus and species names as a free resource. AnimalBase began in 2004 and contributed especially in the initial phase much to open early zoological literature for a global user base. This is therefore considered useful, mainly because of the literature before 1800 for research is very difficult to access only, but is urgently needed for taxonomic work.
The public use of AnimalBase is not limited or associated with conditions. AnimalBase covers all zoological disciplines. In the area of biodiversity computer science AnimalBase is unique in that it linked the names of zoological genera and species with their original descriptions, with a focus on literature and name of is before 1800.
History
The Animal Base Project was created in 2003 and funded by the German Research Foundation ( DFG). Database and web interface have been developed in 2004 and put online in 2005. The web interface was to the effect aligned to work fine even with very outdated computer systems and browsers.
From 2003 to 2005 about 400 zoological publications from 1550 to 1770 have been 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 extracted tens of thousands of other zoological names from the original sources and linked to the digitized original descriptions. AnimalBase 2009 belonged to the founding members of the European Section of Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Digitization and linking to digitized literature of other origin
The early zoological works ( GDZ ) of the Lower Saxony State and University Library ( with approximately 4.5 million volumes, is one of the largest German libraries) digitized to the highest quality standards from the Göttingen Digitization Center. AnimalBase linked where appropriate to digitized works from other providers, such as the Biodiversity Heritage Library ( BHL ) or Gallica, under the condition that their offers represent public domain content.
Extracting taxonomic names from the literature
Zoological genus and species names, which were introduced in early zoological works are transferred manually to the database, including the original spelling and corrected spelling of the name, type localities and the page numbers on which the name was introduced at the factory. Furthermore, cross-checked the names with entries in two other databases, Sherborn 's Index Animalium (1902, 1922-1933 ) and the Nomenclator Zoologicus by Neave ( 1939/1940, updated). The nomenclatural status of the name is checked in relation to the current edition of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature ( ICZN ). Occasional discrepancies between the old databases and the results of the AnimalBase teams, for example, in terms of nomenclatural priority or misspellings are, where appropriate, discussed in the comments section, which is available for each registered taxon. The entire operation of the input follows the AnimalBase standard.
AnimalBase standard
Art- and genus names are entered manually by examining the first description in the database. Entering a Taxonnamens includes the following components:
- The original spelling of the name in the original description is checked for its correctness with respect to the applicable rules of nomenclature ( ICZN Code, current edition).
- Species names are used in combination with the generic name, which they were assigned in the original description, registered. If the generic name is misspelled by the author who has written the species description, the species name is connected by AnimalBase team with the correctly spelled genus name.
- A possibly by today ICZN criteria incorrect original spelling of a Taxonnamens is ( spelling original) in the appropriate field entered, diacritics being used in the original description, ligations, uppercase letters for species names, dashes, spaces between parts of the species name, incorrect subsequent offer spellings of generic names in a used by the author genus- species combination, are cited unchanged.
- The author's name is entered, so basically, as indicated on the title page of the original source. Example: Linnæus 1758, Linnaeus in 1766.
- The year or date of publication is noted as dictated by the rules of nomenclature (actual publication date).
- The Gender handling is given (changeable or non-changeable style name, with respect to the grammar rules of the post- classical Latin ). In many cases it is difficult to decide whether a Latin name is a ( deklinierbares ) adjective or not; therefore the AnimalBase entries here are not one hundred percent reliable.
- A link to the digitized publication containing the original description, is specified.
- The page on which the name was introduced in the original publication (ie where the name is listed first, and was made available) is specified. If the described animals were imaged on an image panel in the factory and indicated on the panels no name, this is not necessarily noted in the Animal base.
- The type locality is entered as indicated in the original description, if you are out of the work is simply visible or implicitly derived. This approach is imprecise, since the type locality in the true sense of the place from which the eponymous types originate (which are not researched by AnimalBase team). Nevertheless, this information can often be a helpful additional information.
- The higher animal group to which the taxon belongs is specified.
- Entries are checked with the Index Animalium and (in the case of genus name) the Nomenclator Zoologicus. Erroneous entries ( used by the first author, however, already described above names were often mistakenly listed as a new name for later authors of Sherborn ) and incorrect spellings of names in these databases are not in the AnimalBase transmitted when they are recognized as such.
- Incorrect subsequent offer spellings ( incorrect subsequent spellings ), are not generally accepted as new taxa, but may be registered as not available and discussed where appropriate, if they were in the Index Animalium as a new name or are otherwise significant.
- All animal groups are the rules of the ICZN code corresponding to the same treatment (names of fishes follow the same rules as insect names)
This entry standard allows an easy and quick access to the basic data from the first description of a taxon. The AnimalBase team does not fit the spelling or authorship of each original name described the notations of how they are used in today's databases from different regions or groups of animals and no uniform standard, but adheres strictly to the original works. The primary goal of AnimalBase is to provide links to the digitized original descriptions are available. But it can also be used to check correct spellings and authorship of zoological names. In this regard, AnimalBase potentially a useful update of Sherborn 's Index Animalium dar.
Use
AnimalBase also offers the possibility of combining the original name with their current taxonomic affiliation ( currently used combination of genus and species ). Detailed biological information and pictures are available ( and are constantly being expanded ), for example, for around 3000 European non -marine molluscs, including more than 8,000 photos available.
AnimalBase is a public open-access community project. Each registered employee has the opportunity to correct data or additional data input. This includes uploading ( copyright-free ) images of animal species, the input of biological data, including measurements and diagnostic features, distribution data and the current protection status in the Red List of Threatened Species. It is expressly permits, data and images that are provided by AnimalBase team to use on other internet sites on ( copy or link).