Adding taxonomy authority: Mammal Diversity Database

[jldunnum]

The American Society of Mammalogists has adopted the Mammal Diversity Database (https://www.mammaldiversity.org/index.html) as its taxonomic authority. How can we go about adding that as an option in Arctos? Thanks much, Jon

[mkoo]

HI Jon, oh thats interesting-- I see that you can download the MDD so it can be added as a new taxonomy in Arctos (see Bulkload Classification). it would have to be done with new versions I assume? Anyway, have you examined the file from MDD? Since this isn't done frequently @dustymc can advise/help.

[dustymc]

advise/help.

#6311

[jldunnum]

I've looked at the file but have never done bulkloading of classifications. Scares me to take it on myself. Probably a number of fields that wouldn't be included.

[jldunnum]

Just spoke with Connor Burgin, who is the main author, and he said version 2.0 will be coming out in about February and will have a pretty decent list of synonyms as well so might be a good idea to revisit at that point.

[dustymc]

Scares me to take it on myself

I can help if there's justification (eg will anyone actually use this??)

number of fields that wouldn't be included

Because you don't want them or because you don't think Arctos can accommodate (it can)?

version 2.0

If it's the same structure, the same map should get it in (or maybe we'd want to version?? Need a use case to make any decisions here.)

spoke with Connor Burgin,

If you can get them to supply their data to globalnames it'll just magically appear in Arctos and nobody would need to do much of anything to use it.

[jldunnum]

I think mammal collections would use it. Let me discuss with Connor, structure might be a bit different and I'll ask about Globalnames. Would globalnames be the authority or would it be MDD?

[dustymc]

Would globalnames be the authority

GlobalNames is a unified API - they just pass on data through a pipeline that's already connected to Arctos. (I think they have structural limitations, but I also don't think any of them will be limiting here.) See for example https://arctos.database.museum/info/ctDocumentation.cfm?table=cttaxonomy_source#world_flora_online

[jldunnum]

Ah, yeah that looks like what we would want