2010
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1011841108
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Abstract: Despite the importance of species discovery, the processes including collecting, recognizing, and describing new species are poorly understood. Data are presented for flowering plants, measuring quantitatively the lag between the date a specimen of a new species was collected for the first time and when it was subsequently described and published. The data from our sample of new species published between 1970 and 2010 show that only 16% were described within five years of being collected for the first time. Th… Show more

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Cited by 287 publications
(213 citation statements)
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“…The rapid loss of global biodiversity [23] and the perceived 'taxonomic bottleneck' owing to declining numbers of professional taxonomists [3,8,24] has led to calls for a massive increase in the utilization of non-professionals in the plant discovery process [25]. These nonprofessionals comprise several distinct classes, including parataxonomists (local resident, field-based, biodiversity inventory specialists working with professional taxonomists), citizen scientists (interested members of the public) and students.…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
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“…The rapid loss of global biodiversity [23] and the perceived 'taxonomic bottleneck' owing to declining numbers of professional taxonomists [3,8,24] has led to calls for a massive increase in the utilization of non-professionals in the plant discovery process [25]. These nonprofessionals comprise several distinct classes, including parataxonomists (local resident, field-based, biodiversity inventory specialists working with professional taxonomists), citizen scientists (interested members of the public) and students.…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Plants, especially, are pivotal organisms for monitoring and measuring global biodiversity because they comprise a species-rich component of almost all habitats on the earth [7] and are relatively well known. Nevertheless, 15-30 per cent of flowering plants remain to be discovered [8][9][10]. A key question for policy-makers and taxonomic institutions is how the remaining species can be efficiently discovered?…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
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“…Specimens of species that have not been named and described abound in museums, and Costello et al (2013) suggested that there could be as many as 0.5 million unnamed species already in collections. In the case of flowering plants, Bebber et al (2010) estimated that around half of the 70,000 species still to be described had already been collected and were stored in herbaria while, for the fungi, Hawksworth and Rossman (1997) suggested that there could be more than 20,000 undescribed species present in collections. The same situation undoubtedly applies to animal groups and protists, as well as microbes maintained in collections of living cultures.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Beck and Semple, 2015) -characteristics are of crucial importance for taxonomic purposes. Existing herbarium collections also house species awaiting description (Bebber et al, 2010). The taxonomic role of herbaria remains essential for measuring and setting conservation challenges and priorities (e.g.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%