A new gecko species in New Zealand was named te mokomoko a Tohu in consultation with a local Māori tribe. This could be a good example for how taxonomists might approach the naming of new species.
Wayne Lawler / Australian Wildlife Conservancy / AAP
Viruses do more than just cause disease – they also influence ecosystems and the processes that shape the planet. Tracing their evolution could help researchers better understand how viruses work.
Taxonomy, or the study of classifying species, plays a key role in biodiversity conservation.
Aarthi Arunkumar/Moment via Getty Images
One of Australia’s largest groups of flower species is named after a wealthy British slave-trader. And Nazi memorabilia collectors have almost sent “Hitler’s beetle” extinct. It’s time for a change.
Homo bodoensis was named after a skull discovered almost 50 years ago in Ethiopia.
(Ettore Mazza)
If scientific research is to take decolonization seriously, names for species should reflect this approach and consider the political, social and emotional implications.
A female Euoplos variabilis from Mount Tamborine.
Jeremy Wilson
To many people, Australia’s spider diversity is a source of fear. To arachnologists, it’s a goldmine, with most Australian spider species still yet to be discovered.
After more than 300 years of effort, scientists have documented fewer than one-third of Australia’s species. The remaining 70% are unknown, and essentially invisible, to science.
Māori treasure kiwi feathers for weaving cloaks for high-ranking people. But the bird’s first description by European scientists is quite recent, based on a specimen that arrived in London in 1812.
A Popa langur, photographed in early 2020.
Aung Ko Lin, Fauna & Flora International
This stroke of serendipity shows how much there is still to be learned about the natural history of Australia. Surely more surprises are out there waiting for us.
There are fundamental knowledge gaps around coral in the Great Barrier Reef, including how many species live there and where they’re found. Our new study finally starts to fill those gaps.
A public debate recently erupted among global taxonomists. Strongly-worded ripostes were exchanged. A comparison to Stalin was floated. But eventually, they worked it out.