Conserve the endangered science, taxonomy

The recently organized refresher course on 'traditional and modern approaches in plant taxonomy' and the forthcoming refresher course on 'traditional and modern approaches in animal taxonomy' by the science academies of India are worthy initiatives, as taxonomy is the oldest scie...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current science (Bangalore) 2013-03, Vol.104 (5), p.573-573
Main Authors: Mariappan, Pitchaimuthu, Balasundaram, Chellam
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal taxonomy
Biological taxonomies
CORRESPONDENCE
Plant taxonomy
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Summary:The recently organized refresher course on 'traditional and modern approaches in plant taxonomy' and the forthcoming refresher course on 'traditional and modern approaches in animal taxonomy' by the science academies of India are worthy initiatives, as taxonomy is the oldest science in biology. India is one of the megabiodiversity countries and it is high time we inculcate awareness about this important discipline. Indeed taxonomy as one of the oldest sciences continues to exist along with human existence; plants and animals can live without man, but man cannot live without them. Although some species are disappearing fast, there are many faunal and floral species that need to be documented. Such an important study is ignored by students, researchers, reviewers, funding institutes, etc., except as a piece-meal syllabus at school/college curriculum. The least-funded scientific discipline in biology is taxonomy. Such an attitude leads to mis-identification of popularly known species too.
ISSN:0011-3891