Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

Ecofisiologia da germinação de sementes de Campomanesia pubescens Ecophysiology of Campomanesia pubescens seed germination

A gabiroba de arbusto [Campomanesia pubescens (DC.) O. Berg. (Myrtaceae)], espécie nativa do Cerrado é considerada uma planta com potencial melífero, ornamental e medicinal. Com o objetivo de avaliar a influência de diferentes temperaturas, substratos e condições de luminosidade e da secagem, na qualidade fisiológica de suas sementes foram conduzidos dois experimentos. No primeiro utilizou-se sementes com 13% de teor de água, o qual foi realizado em delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial (4x3x2), composto por quatro temperaturas (15-25, 20-30&deg;C alternadas, 25 e 30&deg;C constantes), três substratos (sobre papel, entre areia e entre vermiculita) e duas condições de luminosidade (claro e escuro) e, o segundo com sementes recém extraídas dos frutos e secas superficialmente, contendo 35% de teor de água e após a secagem em estufa com ventilação forçada de ar a temperatura de 30&deg;C por 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 260, 360, 750 e 810 minutos. Para a avaliação da qualidade fisiológica de sementes de gabiroba de arbusto, a semeadura sobre papel, no escuro e a 30&deg;C possibilita uma melhor expressão do vigor. As sementes de gabiroba de arbusto são intolerantes a secagem, podendo ser classificadas como recalcitrantes.<br>The gabiroba bush [Campomanesia pubescens (DC.) O. Berg. (Myrtaceae)], a native species of the Cerrado is considered a plant with melliferous, ornamental and medicinal potential. Aiming to evaluate the influence of abiotic factors on seed germination, two experiments were conducted. The first was conducted in a completely randomized design in a factorial design(4x3x2), composed of four temperatures (15-25, 20-30&deg;C alternate, 25 and 30&deg;C constant), 3 substrates (paper, sand and vermiculite) and two light conditions (light and dark). The second experiment aimed to evaluate the tolerance to desiccation of fresh seeds dried superficially, with 35% of water, by drying it in oven with forced ventilation of air at 30&deg;C for 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 260, 360, 750 and 810 minutes. To evaluate the physiological quality of seeds gabiroba, shrub planting on paper, in the dark and 30&deg;C, enables a better expression of the force. The seeds of bush gabiroba are intolerant to desiccation and can be classified as recalcitrant

Efeito da secagem e de diferentes temperaturas na germinação de sementes de Protium widgrenii Engler Effect of the drying and different temperature on germination of Protium widgrenii Engler seeds

Protium widgrenii Engler (Burseraceae) conhecida como almecega-vermelha, é uma espécie nativa, ocorrendo desde Minas Gerais até o Rio Grande do Sul, em quase todas as formações florestais e considerada de grande utilidade para plantios mistos destinados à recomposição de áreas degradadas de preservação permanente. Objetivou-se com este trabalho estudar o efeito da dessecação e de diferentes regimes térmicos sob a germinação de suas sementes. Foram utilizadas sementes com umidade inicial de 51% e sementes dessecadas a 13% de umidade, as quais foram submetidas a um pré-tratamento a frio (5ºC/24 horas) e, posteriormente distribuídas em três rolos de papel germtest, em câmaras de germinação do tipo BOD e em diferentes temperaturas (15; 25; 35ºC constantes e escuro e, 30-20ºC, D/N.). Sementes com 51% de umidade apresentaram maior germinação a 25ºC e menor a 35ºC, com menor IVG a 15ºC e o maior a 25ºC. Com a dessecação a 13% de umidade, as sementes a 15ºC apresentaram menores IVG e germinação. A porcentagem final de germinação a 15ºC foi maior em sementes com 51% de umidade e IVG menor a 25ºC em sementes dessecadas.<br>Protium widgrenii Engler (Burceraceae) known as "almecega-vermelha", is a native species that occurs in many forest formations Minas Gerais to Rio Grande do Sul and is considered usefull in mixed plantings used for restoration of depleted areas of permanent preservation. The objective of this work was to study the effect of dessecation and the different termic regimes on seed germination. Were used seed with initial humidity of 51% and seeds dessecated until 13% humidity, were submitted to a cold pre-treatment (5ºC/24 hours) and distributed in three rolls of germtest paper and maintained in a germination chamber, type BOD under different temperatures (15, 25, 35ºC constant, dark and 30-20ºC, Day/Night. Seeds with 51% humidity presented higher and lower germination at 25ºC and 35ºC and higher and lower IVG at 25ºC and 15ºC, respectively. Using dessecation at 13% humidity, the seeds at 15ºC showed the lowest IVG and germination. Final germination percentage at 15ºC was higher in seeds with 51% humidity and lower IVG at 25ºC in desseccted seeds