Review article

https://doi.org/10.1515/botcro-2015-0018

How to define a diatom genus? Notes on the creation and recognition of taxa, and a call for revisionary studies of diatoms

John Patrick Kociolek orcid.org/0000-0001-9824-7164 ; Museum of Natural History and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 USA
David M. Williams ; Department of Life Sciences, the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, U. K.

Abstract

We highlight the increase in the number of diatom genera being described, and suggest that their description be based on the concept of monophyly. That is, a new genus will contain the ancestor and all its descendants. Past criteria or guidance on how to circumscribe genera are reviewed and discussed, with conceptual and actual exemplars presented. While there is an increase in the rate of genus descriptions in diatoms, and there are many journal and series dedicated to facilitating this important activity, we call for revisionary works on diatom groups, to assess and establish monophyletic groups at all levels of hierarchy in the diatom system.

Keywords

Bacillariophyta; cladistics; genera; monophyly; phylogeny; revisionary studies; systematics

Hrčak ID:

146021

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/146021

Publication date:

1.10.2015.

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