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Wikipedia:WikiProject Tree of Life/Taxon template

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Articles about taxa, such as families, genera, or species, typically contain many of the sections laid out in the order below. For most species, it will not be possible or relevant to fill out every section, but a taxon article on its way to GA usually has sections for "Description", "Taxonomy", "Subdivisions" (e.g. "Species" in the case of genera), "Distribution and habitat", and "Ecology and behavior".

Short description

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Add a short description at the top of the page using the {{short description}} template, e.g. for Hypericum:

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants known as St. John's worts}}

Taxobox

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See also: Wikipedia:Automated taxobox system and Wikipedia:Automated taxobox system/intro

WikiProject Tree of Life/Taxon template
Temporal range: 24–0 Ma Late Oligocene - Recent
 
Narcissus poeticus
Scientific classification  
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Tribe: Narcisseae
Genus: Narcissus
L.
Type species
Narcissus poeticus
Subgenera

See text.

Every article on a currently accepted taxon should include an infobox—specifically, a taxobox—which gives the place of the taxon in a hierarchical classification and some basic taxonomic data. The taxobox can be generated by using the Automatic taxobox system with templates such as {{Automatic taxobox}} and {{Speciesbox}}. These taxoboxes are intended to facilitate maintaining a consistent hierarchical classification across multiple articles. The older template {{Taxobox}} is less commonly used, but may be required for particular cases such as controversial taxonomic placement.

The taxobox template is placed near the top of the page, right under the {{Short description}}.

Long lists, for instance under subdivisions or synonyms, should be avoided as per H:IB. If unavoidable, use {{collapsible list}}.

Obsolete (no longer accepted) taxa should not have a taxobox, but the text should make clear where they had fit and what the approximate contemporary taxon is or taxa are. If explained adequately on a different page, consider redirecting an obsolete or unaccepted taxa to its contemporary analogue.

Common parameters

These are the most common parameters included in taxoboxes:

  • Image:
    • |image=Narcissus.radiiflorus.1658.jpg
    • |image_caption=''[[Narcissus poeticus]]''
  • Conservation status:
  • Taxon: |taxon=Narcissus
  • Authority: |authority=[[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
  • Type:
    • |type_species=''[[Narcissus poeticus]]''
    • |type_species_authority=[[Carl Linnaeus|L.]] - include the type species ('type') or type genus for infoboxes of taxon rank higher than species, and preferentially use it for the image in the taxobox.
  • Range:
    • |range_map=Narcissus papyraceus distrib.jpg
    • |range_map_caption=Distribution in Spain and Portugal e.g. Narcissus papyraceus
  • Synonyms:
    • |synonyms_ref:{{r|powo}}
    • |synonyms=''Autogenes poeticus'' {{small|(L.) Raf.}}

Introduction

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See also: Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section § Organisms

The introductory paragraphs (also called the "lead") should be a summary of the article. References are not normally included in the lead, since it summarises the rest of the article, which should include references.

The first paragraph, usually the very first sentence, should have the taxon name in bold. If the taxon is a genus or lower rank, such as subgenus or species, the name should be in italics as well as bold. Include common (vernacular) names if they exist for the taxon, some basic morphology, its general taxonomic description ("genus of fungi") and something general about the range and habitat (e.g., rainforest of Brazil, desert of South Africa etc.).

Description

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This section includes all the information required to allow identification of a member of this taxon (species/genus/family etc.) Remember to use a paragraph structure, not bullet points or incomplete sentences. This can include both morphological description as well as chemistry and chromosome analysis.

Describe the general aspect and habit of the taxon, such as the size, color, and shape of any key features. Use plain descriptive English where possible, explaining technical terms, especially less common ones. Link technical terms to relevant pages. If the relevant page, e.g. leaf, does not have a description of that feature, consider adding it to that page, and create a redirect. Also check the Glossary and update it where necessary. Another useful linkage is Wiktionary, e.g. leaf. When discussing large groups with varying features (genus and higher), summarize the most interesting and relevant material, but link to other articles for details. The description should focus on the defining characteristics of the taxon that distinguish it from other similar taxa.

Chemistry

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Includes chemical analysis such as phytochemistry (plants) or the results of spot tests (lichens), including a description of the observed compounds or pigments. Many chemicals with known functions or uses may be more appropriately discussed under sections such as "Uses" or "Ecology".

Taxonomy

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Taxonomy (systematics) deals with the causes and consequences of variation of an entity (taxon). It integrates the gathering of evidence, its processing, the production of phylogenetic relationships and the resulting classification of the entity and its relationships, reflecting the totality of similarities and differences, including the evolutionary processes and pathways which produced divergence and diversity. It is frequently combined with discussions on the evolution of the taxon in botanical articles. The evolutionary history of the taxon is its phylogeny, the process by which its present-day characteristics evolved over time.

Topics to include in this section would usually include taxonomic history, modern taxonomic classification, the characteristics that define the taxon, its phylogeny, the taxonomic subdivision of the taxon where applicable and the etymological derivation of the taxon's nomenclature.

Discovery and naming

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Authority
See also: Author citation (zoology) and Author citation (botany)

An account of the original description of the taxon, authority, including by whom, when, and how the taxon was discovered or first circumscribed, any background if known and including the original authority as a reference. Mention the defining characteristics and the type specimen if known, e.g. type species or type genus. For instance, for Liliaceae the type genus is Lilium. Keep in mind the rules for authority, as laid out in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN),[1] ICZN,[citation needed] and --expand--.

Secondary sources: The original description does not constitute a reliable source on its own. Check out the relevant WikiProject for lists of reliable secondary taxonomic references, such as the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families or the World Register of Marine Species. Sometimes the most authoritative reference will be in proposals or considerations published in a journal like Taxon or the deliberations of the International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT) committees, also published there.

Author format: Use {{small|Auth. Name}} or <small>Auth. Name</small> around the author's name or abbreviation to create small font. For plants, use the abbreviations listed at List of botanists by author abbreviation or International Plant Names Index (IPNI). When possible, link the name to the author's Wikipedia article the first time the author is mentioned. While year of publishing is included next to the author for animals,[citation needed] it is excluded from the author citation in plants and fungi.[1]

Historical treatment

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A description of subsequent handling of the taxonomic entity up to modern times. This is the history of the circumscription of the taxon and its relationship to other taxa at the same and higher ranks. Discuss the major synonyms, and any disputes about classification (e.g. Hippeastrum nomenclature debate). Mention whether conserved (nom. cons.), rejected (nom. rej.) or illegitimate (nom. illeg.) names exist in relation to the taxon. The use of tables over text alone is recommended if comparing different historical classifications (see, for example Evolution of placement of Liliaceae in different taxonomic schemes).

Modern classification

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Modern taxonomy is based on phylogenetic analyses and to present such work, if available, is essential. Mention whether there are still doubts about monophyly and the most closely related sister group. An account of the current relationships of the taxon is best illustrated with a cladogram. Include an account of what evidence (e.g. morphology, embryology, chromosomes, karyology, cytogenetics, biogeography, ecology, palynology, phytochemistry, proteins and nucleic acid segments) was used in constructing the phylogeny, and the processes involved.

Evolution

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Describe how the evolutionary processes, history, and biogeography have contributed to the diversity, and discuss speciation where appropriate.

Subdivision

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Where applicable, provide a description of the structure of the subdivision of the taxon. For an article on a family, a subdivision section might be list the subfamilies or genera in that family. An article on a genus typically lists all the known species in that genus. Consider structuring the list according to taxonomic subdivisions instead of purely alphabetically, such as by tribe, subgenus, or section.

Etymology

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Explain the meaning of the taxon name and common names, if known. Useful tools include:

  • Gledhill, David (2006). The names of plants (4th. ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521866456. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  • Stearn, William T. (2002). Stearn's dictionary of plant names for gardeners : a handbook on the origin and meaning of the botanical names of some cultivated plants. Portland, Or.: Timber Press. ISBN 978-0881925562. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  • Griffith, Chuck (2005). "Dictionary of Botanical Epithets". Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  • Morgan, Michelle (October 2005). "Botanical Latin: The Poetry of Herb Names" (PDF). Number 89. MediHerb. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  • List of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names

Distribution and habitat

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This section should describe where the taxon is, or was, found naturally, or has invaded. Talk about geographic location, elevation range, climatic range, soil types it is found in, plants associated with it (associates, vegetation type), its centre of diversity, and ecosystems. Note that the biogeography may demonstrate a phylogenetic association, in which different subtaxa have adapted to different regions.

Example:

Distribution: Narcissus occurs primarily in Southwestern Europe and the Mediterranean region, with a centre of diversity in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). A few species extend the range into southern France and Italy, and even the Balkans (N. poeticus, N. serotinus, N. tazetta) and the Eastern Mediterranean (N. serotinus).

Habitat: Their native habitats are very varied, with different elevations, bioclimatic areas and substrates, being found predominantly in open spaces ranging from low marshes to rocky hillsides and montane pastures, and including grassland, scrub, woods, river banks and rocky crevices...The Pseudonarcissus group in their natural habitat prefer humid situations such as stream margins, springs, wet pastures, clearings of forests or shrublands with humid soils, and moist hillsides...subgenus Hermione has a lowland distribution, but subgenus Narcissus section Apodanthi is montane and restricted to Morocco, Spain and Portugal.

Ecology and behavior

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This is all about the taxon's biological processes and interaction with its environment. Non-animal organisms will often lack "behavior" per se and the section may be limited instead to ecology, with other biological processes categorized slightly differently. Some of these subsections will be top-level sections when more important for that organism. Habitat is sometimes better placed under Ecology rather than Distribution.

Common subsections include:

Life cycle, Reproduction, or Breeding

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For plants, this information is often included under the physical description section. Plant example:

Narcissus are long-lived perennial geophytes with winter-growing and summer-dormant bulbs that are mainly synanthous (leaves and flowers appearing at the same time). While most species flower in late winter to spring, five species are autumn flowering and by contrast are hysteranthous (leaves appear after flowering).

Animal example:

American crows are socially monogamous cooperative breeding birds. Mated pairs form large families of up to 15 individuals from several breeding seasons that remain together for many years. Offspring from a previous nesting season will usually remain with the family to assist in rearing new nestlings.

Diet

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Organisms it feeds upon and feeding behavior.

Predators, parasites, and pathogens

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Organisms that eat it, parasitize it, or cause diseases and other injury.

Communication or Social behavior

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Ways the organism communicates or behaves with other individuals of the same type or with other organisms, such as breeding calls, pheromones, or other volatile compounds.

Conservation

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If there are conservation concerns regarding the species or some of its members, discuss them. Is the taxon, or any parts of it, extinct, endangered, threatened, or vulnerable? If so, are there any protection schemes? The taxobox is one place to summarise conservation information. A useful tool is the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Uses

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What is the organism used for? Examples of use include:

If a use is particularly important or the organism has only one major use, list it separately with an appropriate header.

Culture

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Does the organism have a specific cultural relevance, for example as a metaphor or a motif? Is it an integral part of some aspect of culture?

Avoid trivia as per WP:"In popular culture" content.

References

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See also: Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources (natural sciences)
See also: WP:SAYWHEREYOUGOTIT

Wikipedia does not mandate any particular reference style, but portability of commonly used resources across the project is an advantage. The preferred format for citation is to use a cite template, such as {{cite book}} or {{cite journal}}.

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Other resources available online can be referenced in an External links section, though in most cases it is preferable to include them as inline references. Detailed guidelines are provided at Wikipedia:External links.

Use {{Taxonbar}} to display external links in a compact manner.

Taxonbar

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{{Taxonbar}} is a template which was created to add more capability for linking to external identifiers of biological and taxonomic databases. All information displayed in the taxonbar is retrieved from corresponding Wikidata entries.

The taxonbar should always be added to the bottom of a page, below external links and other navboxes. Categories and stub templates should be the only things lower on the page. Adding the following code to the bottom of Narcissus would generate the bar below it:

{{Taxonbar|from=Q29465}}

For more information about taxonomy and organisms on Wikidata, see Wikidata:WikiProject Taxonomy

Categories

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For plants, see Wikipedia:WikiProject Plants/Categorization.

Stub template

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For very short articles, or those otherwise lacking sufficient information to be classified as a "Start" or above, following the WikiProject Tree of Life or affiliated WikiProject article assessment guidelines, add a stub template.

A list of relevant stub templates can be found at Wikipedia:WikiProject Stub sorting/Stub types#Biological sciences.

The stub template is placed at the very end of the page with two blank lines immediately preceding it.

Talk page

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Add the appropriate WikiProject banner template, such as {{WikiProject Amphibians and Reptiles}} or {{WikiProject Plants}}, to the article's talk page to include the article in the Projects' assessment scheme.

Add banner templates for other projects to the article's talk page as appropriate.

Additional resources

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Model articles

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Some examples of model articles for different taxonomic ranks are provided here for guidance:

Affiliated WikiProject recommendations

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The links below can be referenced for taxon-specific recommendations (though note that many of these were last edited many moons ago).

References

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  1. ^ a b Turland, N. J.; Wiersema, J. H.; Barrie, F. R.; et al., eds. (2018). "International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Shenzhen Code) adopted by the Nineteenth International Botanical Congress Shenzhen, China, July 2017". Regnum Vegetabile. Shenzhen: Glashütten: Koeltz Botanical Books. doi:10.12705/Code.2018. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
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