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A template for the future: digitizing and databasing a taxonomic illustration collection

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Abstract

This is the first iconographic taxonomic database intended as an everyday tool for the practising taxonomist, that allows access to the original drawings used to describe species. We demonstrate the system with water mites (Acari, Parasitengona, Hydrachnidia) but it may be used with any other plant or animal group. Query by genus or species leads to the original drawings and any additional images associated to that particular name. At present, the database includes images from more than 4,000 species (around 38,000 illustrations) and is easily expandable. Copyright does not allow the database to be used in an open WWW context, but it can be an extremely useful tool in private taxonomic applications.

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Acknowledgements

Judith Gledhill, Rick Gunn, Ana Camacho, Ana Correas and Marisa Peláez helped in many ways in the development of this database. Thanks are also due to Ian Pettman, Xin Zhu, Paul Hollands and two anonymous referees for their valuable comments and suggestions on an earlier version of this paper. A. G. V. wishes to acknowledge the hospitality of the Gledhills during the digitization of the illustration collection. Projects PASCALIS EVK2-CT-2001-00121 and CGL2005-02217/BOS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Freshwater Biological Association, Windermere Laboratory, The Ferry House, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0LP, UK

    T. Gledhill

  2. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, C/Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, Madrid, 28006, Spain

    A. G. Valdecasas & J. M. Becerra

Authors
  1. T. Gledhill
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  2. A. G. Valdecasas
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  3. J. M. Becerra
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. G. Valdecasas.

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Gledhill, T., Valdecasas, A.G. & Becerra, J.M. A template for the future: digitizing and databasing a taxonomic illustration collection. Exp Appl Acarol 41, 109–113 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-007-9054-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-007-9054-5

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