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Mammal Diversity Database

Year: 2018
Type: dataset
Abstract: Accurate taxonomy is central to the study of biological diversity, as it provides the needed evolutionary framework for taxon sampling and interpreting results. While the number of recognized species in the class Mammalia has increased through time, tabulation of those increases has relied on the sporadic release of revisionary compendia like the Mammal Species of the World (MSW) series. Here, we present the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD), a digital, publically accessible, and updateable list of all mammalian species, now available online: https://mammaldiversity.org. The MDD will continue to be updated as manuscripts describing new species and higher taxonomic changes are released. Starting from the baseline of the 3rd edition of MSW (MSW3), we performed a review of taxonomic changes published since 2004 and digitally linked species names to their original descriptions and subsequent revisionary articles in an interactive, hierarchical database. The MDD provides the mammalogical community with an updateable online database of taxonomic changes, joining digital efforts already established for amphibians (AmphibiaWeb, AMNH’s Amphibian Species of the World), birds (e.g., Avibase, IOC World Bird List, HBW Alive), non-avian reptiles (The Reptile Database), and fish (e.g., FishBase, Catalog of Fishes). Development for this work is funded primarily by the American Society of Mammalogists (ASM; 2017-present), with initial logistical and planning support (2017-2019) provided by the NSF Vertlife Terrestrial grant. Logistical support is now also being provided by the Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center at Arizona State University. The ASM Biodiversity Committee compiles and maintains the MDD, curating regular releases that are downloadable in comma-delimited format. Downstream goals include expanded hosting of ecological, trait, and taxonomic data. Overall, this initiative aims to promote the ASM’s role as a leader in high quality research on mammalian biology. A new section on Subjective Decisions has been added to the MDD About page for use in summarizing opinion-based decisions of the MDD team that depart from the most recently published peer-reviewed article on a given taxon. Some of these decisions are made in collaboratoration with the Global Bat Taxonomy Working Group of the IUCN SSC Bat Specialist Group to promote harmonization between the MDD and batnames.org. Future subjective decisions will also be authored by the MDD Taxonomic Subcommittees that we are assembling in early 2023. Version 1.12 (5 January 2024). This is an incremental release that documents 6,718 total species, of which 107 are recently extinct (addition of 2 species since v1.11) and 6,611 are extant (17 domestic extant, 6,594 wild extant). There are now 27 species flagged for further review. The holotypeVoucher field is filled for 2,727 accepted species thanks to the efforts of the MDD team (35 NA's indicate a real lack of actual voucher--in need of neotype). The Tracked Differences file ("Diff_v1.11-v1.12.csv") documents taxonomic changes made since the last MDD version, which include 115 changes during the last 8 months (compares to 194 changes from v1.10-v1.11 and 117 changes from v1.9 to v1.10, and ~30 changes between versions before that). Differences include 77 new species recognized (38 de novo, 38 split, 1 revalidation), 8 synonymizations (lumps), 31 species with genus name changes, 7 genus additions (Bisbalus, Passalites, Subulo, Neoeptesicus, Mictomys, Cnephaeus, Cordimus) and 1 genus lump (Nesoromys), and 1 removed domestic species (Homo sapiens, given a revised MDD definition of domestication to be 'domesticated by human artificial selection'; see About page). In total, there was a net increase of 69 species and net increase of 6 genera of recognized extant or recently extinct mammals since MDD v1.11. Version 1.11 (15 April 2023). This is an incremental release that documents 6,649 total species, of which 105 are recently extinct (addition of 4 species since v1.10) and 6,544 are extant (18 domestic extant, 6,526 wild extant). There are now only 21 species flagged for further review. The holotypeVoucher field is filled for 2,731 accepted species thanks to the efforts of the MDD team (NA's indicate a real lack of actual voucher--in need of neotype). The Tracked Differences file ("Diff_v1.10-v1.11.csv") documents taxonomic changes made since the last MDD version, which have been extensive recently due to enhanced activity, leading to a whopping 194 changes during the last 4 months (compares to 117 changes in the last version, and ~30 changes between previous versions). Differences include 64 new species recognized (15 de novo, 49 split), 29 synonymizations (lumps, including 2 domestic species: Bos domesticus into Bos javanicus, and Bos indicus into Bos taurus), 1 species removal (Makalata obscura, now considered nomen dubium), 36 species with genus name changes, 5 genus additions (Otohylomys, Baeodon, Neusticomys, Poecilictis, and Parachoerus) and 7 genus lumps (Crossogale, Aeorestes, Dasypterus, Koopmania, Pediolagus, Petropseudes, Catagonus), 5 species epithet changes to clear up confusion, 47 species epithet spelling changes to match gender or the original description (this was a major emphasis of this version– to come into harmony with batnames.org and hesperomys.com), and 1 error fix in the spelling of the common name "Australian Humpback Dolphin". In total, there was a net increase of 34 species and net decrease of 2 genera of recognized extant or recently extinct mammals since MDD v1.10. Version 1.10 (3 Dec 2022). This is an incremental release that documents 6,615 total species, of which 101 are recently extinct and 6,514 are extant (20 domestic extant, 6,494 wild extant). There are now 33 species flagged for further review (subtraction of Dromiciops mondaca, which was synonymized under D. gliroides). The holotypeVoucher field is now filled for 2,731 accepted species thanks to the continued efforts of Ingrid Rochon, Connor Burgin, and also now Bruce Patterson (NA's indicate a real lack of actual voucher--in need of neotype). The Tracked Differences file ("Diff_v1.9-v1.10.csv") documents taxonomic changes made since the last MDD version, which was 8 months ago (1 April 2022) so 117 changes are included now versus the ~30 changes between previous versions. Differences include 49 new species recognized (22 de novo, 27 split), 30 synonymizations (lumps), 29 species with genus name changes (affecting Lissonycteris -> Myonycteris, Aonyx/Lutrogale -> Lutra, Eothenomys -> Anteliomys, Ellobius -> Bramus, Proedromys -> Mictomicrotus, Lasiopodomys back to Stenocranius, and Cephalophus -> Cephalophorus), 3 species epithet changes to clear up confusion, 5 species epithet spelling changes to match gender or the original description, and 1 error fix shifting Capra hircus to domestic status as the domestic form of C. aegagrus. In total, there was a net increase of 19 species and 5 genera of recognized extant or recently extinct mammals since MDD v1.9. Version 1.9.1 (29 Jun 2022). This is a patch release that adds the field 'holotypeVoucherURIs' to the MDD taxonomy file for use in linking the type specimens to external website(s), including the hosting museum collection. Currently this feature is experimental. The taxonomy still includes 6,596 total species, of which 101 are recently extinct & 6,495 are extant (19 domestic extant, 6,476 wild extant). Version 1.9 (1 Apr 2022). This is an incremental release that documents 6,596 total species, of which 101 are recently extinct and 6,495 are extant (19 domestic extant, 6,476 wild extant). There are now 34 species flagged for further review (addition of 6 species related to the split of Lagenorhynchus dolphins, along with the previous inclusion of some Cebus species). The holotypeVoucher field is now filled for 2,662 accepted species thanks to the continued efforts of Ingrid Rochon and Connor Burgin (NA's indicate a real lack of actual voucher--in need of neotype). The Tracked Differences file ("Diff_v1.8-v1.9.csv") documents taxonomic changes made since the last MDD version, and here includes 15 new species recognized (8 de novo, 7 split), 10 synonymizations (lumps), 2 species with genus name changes (Brachylagus idahoensis to Sylvilagus idahoensis and Nycticebus pygmaeus to Xanthonycticebus pygmaeus), and 1 range extension (for Marmosa alstoni extended to Panama; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6374907). In total, there was a net increase of 5 recognized species of extant or recently extinct mammals since MDD v1.8. Version 1.8 (1 Feb 2022). This is an incremental release that documents 6,591 total species, of which 101 are recently extinct and 6,490 are extant (19 domestic extant, 6,471 wild extant). There are still 28 species flagged for further review (e.g., some Cebus species). The holotypeVoucher field is now filled for 2,665 accepted species thanks to the continued efforts of Ingrid Rochon and Connor Burgin (NA's indicate a real lack of actual voucher--in need of neotype). The Tracked Differences file ("Diff_v1.7-v1.8.csv") documents taxonomic changes made since the last MDD version, and here includes 27 new species recognized (21 de novo, 6 split), 3 synonymizations, 1 genus change (Nasuella into Nasua, resulting in a reduction in the total number of genera), and 3 species name changes (2 based on new genetic evidence and naming priority, 1 on a spelling change). In total, there was a net increase of 24 recognized species of extant or recently extinct mammals since MDD v1.7. Version 1.7 (6 Nov 2021). This is an incremental release that documents 6,567 total species, of which 101 are recently extinct and 6,466 are extant (19 domestic extant, 6,447 wild extant). There are now 28 species flagged for further review (e.g., some Cebus species). The holotypeVoucher field is now filled for 2,512 accepted species thanks to the continued efforts of Ingrid Rochon and Connor Burgin (in
Source: Figshare
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4139722
Language: English
Subfield: Paleontology
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4393668444
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Cited by: 330
Related to: 10