Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Commentary
  • Published:

Taxonomy of taxonomists

A crude estimate of the number of taxonomists shows a striking mismatch between the geographical location of practitioners and biological diversity. At a time when resources are limited, what needs to be done?

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. May, R. M. Phil Trans. R. Soc. B330, 293–304 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Stork, N. E. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 35, 321–337 (1988).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Gaston, K. J. Conserv. Biol. 5, 283–296.

  4. House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology Systematic Biology Research (HMSO, London, 1992).

  5. Gee, H. Nature 355, 488 (1992).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Edwards, S. R., David, G. M. & Nerling, L. I. The Systematics Community (Museum of Natural History, Lawrence, Kansas, 1985).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Richardson, B. J. Search 14, 320–323 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  8. May, R. M. Science 241, 1441–1449 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Golley, F. B. in Trends in Ecological Research in the 1980's (eds Cooley, J. H. & Golley, F. B.) 1–4 (Plenum, New York, 1984).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Prance, G. T. & Campbell, D. Taxon 37, 519 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Parnell, J. Conserv. Biol. (in the press).

  12. Kosztarab, M. & Schaefer, C. W. (eds) Systematics of the North American Insects and Arachnids: Status and Needs (Virginia Polytechnic Ins, Blacksburg, 1990).

  13. Slater, J. A. Bull. ent. Soc. Am. Spring, 4–7 (1984).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gaston, K., May, R. Taxonomy of taxonomists. Nature 356, 281–282 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/356281a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/356281a0

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing