Forum — Taxon versions

Re: Taxon versions

2006-10-11T16:43:01Z

There's no problem - I was just trying to understand how the taxon dictionary worked as I only had a superficial knowledge of it. The fact I found the Dotterel error is incidental. I've not installed the latest dictionary updates (the update that should hopefully come about 6.9.3 time), which I would assume contains the Dotterel fix?

Re: Taxon versions

2006-10-11T09:09:17Z

Charles
Sorry - but I cant quite get my head around this. Broadly what you have written is correct - ie. there may be different preferred common names depending on the list. I guess what I need to know is whether this is expected behavour or not - ie. is what you are raising here a problem?
The bit that does worry me is the Dotterel bit. I thought I had fixed this and on my copy here I cant see any problem. Can you just confirm what the error you are getting is?
Many thanks
STeve

Re: Taxon versions

2006-10-06T16:42:02Z

I've been looking into some of the finer points of the taxon dictionary and have a query regarding taxon versions. For the sake of example, I'll use the otter (Lutra lutra). The otter appears on 20 lists (at present) and appears in three versions, i.e. it has three TAXON_VERSION_KEYS that I can find:

NBNSYS0000005133
NBNSYS0000169293
NHMSYS0000332266

The first of those keys -- NBNSYS0000005133 -- appears on all 20 lists, while the other two appear 3 times and once respectively. Some of the taxon versions appear within a taxon list twice. E.g. both NHMSYS0000332266 (European Otter) and NBNSYS0000005133 (Otter) on the MAMMALIA checklist, with the preferred_name in this case being the European Otter. Thus in cases such as this, the 'European Otter' version is what appears in the checklist, while the plain 'Otter' version is hidden.

The taxon version that is NBNSYS0000169293 appears to be a mistake (it's a Dotterel!).

So, first, have I got my thinking correct in all of this?

Secondly, given that NBNSYS0000169293 (the Dotterel) is a mistake, does the newest version of the otter (NHMSYS0000332266 - the European Otter) signify the split and name change from the old 'Otter' to the newer 'European Otter'?

Hope all that makes sense to someone. :)

Charles