Digital identifiers for fungal species—Response

Species classification platforms based on DNA sequences, including the UNITE system, allow ecologists and evolutionary biologists to conduct sophisticated research programs without reference to Latin binomials. However, the entities that they catalog—such as species hypotheses (described by Koljalg et al. ), virtual taxa ([ 1 ][1]), or barcode index numbers ([ 2 ][2])—are obscure concepts. Although useful to specialists, these concepts are unfamiliar to the general public. In contrast, the notion of species is deeply ingrained in human culture, even if evolutionary biologists understand that there is no universal, objective criterion for defining a species ([ 3 ][3]). Species names in the form of Latin binomials are useful for communicating knowledge of biodiversity not only to nontechnical audiences such as legislators, educators, and members of the media, but also to the vast majority of biologists, who are not microbial ecologists. Koljalg et al. assert that species classification is a cornerstone of biology and lament the lag between discovery and description of fungal species and other microorganisms. This lag time would be greatly diminished if species could be formally defined based on molecular sequences. However, this is not possible under the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants ([ 4 ][4]), which requires physical type specimens regardless of their quality or scientific utility. The Code can only be modified once every 7 years by a vote of the Nomenclature Section of the International Botanical Congress. The next opportunity to change the Code will be in 2017. Adoption of sequence-based species description would promote the integration of molecular ecology and traditional taxonomy, which would be facilitated by resources such as UNITE. 1. [↵][5]1. M. Opik 2. et al ., Botany 92, 135 (2014) [OpenUrl][6][CrossRef][7] 2. [↵][8]1. S. Ratnasingham, 2. P. D. N. Hebert , PLOS One 8, e66213 (2013). [OpenUrl][9][CrossRef][10][PubMed][11] 3. [↵][12]1. D. Baum , System. Biol. 58, 74 (2009). [OpenUrl][13][Abstract/FREE Full Text][14] 4. [↵][15]1. J. McNeil 2. et al ., Eds., International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants (Melbourne Code) (Koeltz Scientific Books, 2012). [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2 [3]: #ref-3 [4]: #ref-4 [5]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text" [6]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DBotany%26rft.volume%253D92%26rft.spage%253D135%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1139%252Fcjb-2013-0110%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [7]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1139/cjb-2013-0110&link_type=DOI [8]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2 in text" [9]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DPLOS%2BOne%26rft.volume%253D8%26rft.spage%253De66213%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1371%252Fjournal.pone.0066213%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F23861743%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [10]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1371/journal.pone.0066213&link_type=DOI [11]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=23861743&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fsci%2F352%2F6290%2F1183.atom [12]: #xref-ref-3-1 "View reference 3 in text" [13]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DSystem.%2BBiol.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1093%252Fsysbio%252Fsyp011%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F20525569%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [14]: /lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiQUJTVCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6Njoic3lzYmlvIjtzOjU6InJlc2lkIjtzOjc6IjU4LzEvNzQiO3M6NDoiYXRvbSI7czoyMzoiL3NjaS8zNTIvNjI5MC8xMTgzLmF0b20iO31zOjg6ImZyYWdtZW50IjtzOjA6IiI7fQ== [15]: #xref-ref-4-1 "View reference 4 in text"