<http://www.barcoding.si.edu/AboutCBOL.htm>

Harry


At 05:53 AM 4/29/2008, you wrote:
>Back in antiquity (1968) R. Tucker Abbott published his Guide to Field
>Identification - SEASHELLS of North America.  In it Tucker indicated that
>the phylum Mollusca included "about 100,000 living species."  Few today
>would disagree that Tucker significantly underestimated.  Some current
>estimates include 250,000+.  There are eight living classes
><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_%28biology%29>  of molluscs.
>Caudofoveata <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caudofoveata>  - small, deep-sea,
>worm-like creatures  <http://www.meer.org/Mindx.htm> that live buried head
>down in the sea floor; 70 known species; now generally recognized as a
>subclass of Aplacophora
>Aplacophora <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aplacophora>  - small deep-sea,
>worm-like creatures  <http://www.meer.org/Mindx.htm> that live symbiotically
>or feed upon cnidarians.  They have no shell, eyes, or tentacles. 250
>species.  Also known as Solenogasters.
>Polyplacophora <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyplacophora>  - chitons; 600
>species, found on rocky marine shorelines
>Monoplacophora <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoplacophora>  - deep-sea
>limpet-like creatures; 11 living species
>Pelecypoda (Bivalves) - clams <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clam> , oysters
><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyster> , scallops
><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scallop> , mussels
><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mussel> ; 8,000 species
>Scaphopoda <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaphopoda>  - tusk shells; 350
>species
>Gastropoda <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastropoda>  (Univalves) - sea
>snails with shells, such as abalone <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abalone> ,
>limpets <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limpet> , conch
><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conch> , etc, and marine snails without a
>shell or with a reduced shell, such as nudibranchs
><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudibranch> , sea hares
><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_hare> ; sea angel
><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_angel> , sea butterfly
><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_butterfly> , sea lemon
><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_lemon>  etc; land snails
><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snail>  and slugs
><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slug> , freshwater snails, total estimated at
>40,000 - 150,000 species
>Cephalopoda <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalopod>  - squid
><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squid> , octopodes
><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus> , nautilus
><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nautilus> , cuttlefish
><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuttlefish> ; 786 species, all marine
>
>The ability to distinguish all these species of Molluscs is a considerable
>problem for Malacologists.  It is less of a problem for shell collectors who
>generally focus on bivalves and univalves.  And, within these two groups
>most collectors focus upon only the marine species of the larger,
>hard-shelled specimens and eschew micro shells (< 10 mm).  However, this
>limited group still includes scores of thousands of described and
>undescribed species and represents a formidable challenge for collectors.
>
>The identification and classification (taxonomy) of living organisms is
>probably among the oldest of human penchants.  The version of taxonomy we
>practice is the binomial naming and hierarchical classification system
>introduced by Carolus Linnaeus in the mid-18th century.  This system has
>largely been based upon observers' differing opinions of what are valid
>morphological characters to serve as distinctions between species, the
>significance of such characters as distinguishers, and the observers'
>attitudes toward observational and research rigor when establishing species
>distinctions.  So, on the one hand we have a very large number of described
>species (the accuracy of which has been limited by the observational,
>research and reporting skills of taxonomists who created past species
>distinctions) and on the other hand we have the challenge of our own
>capacity for morphological examination, ability to recall the names and
>diagnostic morphological features of species, and/or research resources to
>accomplish comprehensive and valid comparative analysis.  Learning the
>morphological nuances that separate closely allied species is so complex
>that few professional malacologists, even those who have devoted their
>careers to taxonomy, can critically discriminate more than 1,000 species.
>The consequence is that routine, accurate identification of more than
>several hundred described shell species is an acute challenge for most
>malacologists and especially collectors, with a delay typically measured in
>months to acquire identities for even a short list of specimens - assuming
>that a qualified expert can be found.  How much easier it would be for us
>all if every shell had a little code on it identifying its true name.  CBOL
>is coming.
>
>
>Marlo
>merritt island, fl

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