The Zoological Record is a comprehensive global index of zoological literature. This electronic database catalogs scientific research and discoveries related to the animal kingdom. With coverage extending back to 1864, it is recognized as the world’s oldest continuing database in animal biology. It includes information on both living and fossil species, providing a historical continuum of zoological knowledge. The Record also acts as an unofficial register for scientific names in zoology, indexing a large portion of the world’s literature on zoological nomenclature.
The Importance for Biodiversity
The Zoological Record is important for understanding and preserving global biodiversity. It serves as a reference for taxonomy, the science of classifying organisms, and systematics, the study of evolutionary relationships. By cataloging new species descriptions, it provides a means to acknowledge and track the discovery of new life forms. This tracking allows scientists to monitor changes in species names over time, which can occur due to reclassification or new genetic information.
The database’s historical depth, spanning over 150 years, offers insight into animal distribution patterns. Researchers can analyze this long-term data to identify shifts in species ranges, which may indicate environmental changes or human activities. This historical context is valuable for conservation efforts, as it helps determine if a species has disappeared from previously documented areas or if its population abundance has altered.
The Zoological Record contributes to conservation by providing an overview of research on specific animal groups or regions. This allows conservation biologists to access past studies on endangered species, understand their biology, and inform recovery plans. It helps assess threats to endangered species by providing historical and current data on their presence and distribution. The compiled information supports the creation of distribution maps, aiding in the establishment of new conservation areas or the recovery of impacted habitats.
How Zoological Record is Created
The creation of the Zoological Record involves gathering and indexing scientific literature. It encompasses a wide array of publication types, including articles from thousands of scientific journals published in over 100 countries. Beyond journals, it also incorporates information from books, conference proceedings, meeting papers, reports, and newsletters. This broad scope ensures the capture of zoological research regardless of its publication format.
The information collected for the Zoological Record is indexed by trained biologists, ensuring accuracy and relevance. Data points extracted include new species descriptions, new taxonomic names, updates to existing nomenclature, and new geographic records of animal occurrences. Biological observations, such as details on animal behavior, ecology, genetics, morphology, and physiology, are also indexed. This ongoing effort means the database is regularly updated with the latest scientific findings, keeping it current.
The Zoological Record originated as a print publication in 1864 by the Zoological Society of London, initially titled “The Record of Zoological Literature”. Over the decades, its production evolved, with BIOSIS and later Clarivate Analytics taking on publishing responsibilities. While the print version ceased in 2016, the Zoological Record continues as a fully electronic index, constantly expanding its over 3.5 million records. This digitization has allowed for modern indexing terms and enhanced search functions, making historical data more accessible and searchable.
Using the Zoological Record
The Zoological Record is used by professionals and researchers for various scientific applications. Scientists, including taxonomists, ecologists, and conservation biologists, rely on it to verify species names and trace historical changes in classification. This is useful for ensuring consistency in scientific communication and research across different studies. Researchers also use it to find past studies on specific animals or biological topics, providing a foundation for new investigations.
Educators and students access the Zoological Record to explore animal life and understand zoological discoveries. Policymakers and government agencies consult the database to inform environmental regulations, assess biodiversity, or support decisions related to wildlife management and conservation. For example, the database helps identify the first published description of an animal or track the discovery of new species.
Access to the Zoological Record is primarily through specialized online databases, often requiring subscriptions through academic or research institutions. These platforms allow users to conduct detailed searches, pinpointing relevant information and investigating trends in animal populations over decades. The database’s structured indexing, developed by experts, streamlines the research process, enabling efficient discovery of accurate and meaningful data for a wide range of zoological inquiries.