Today molecular data is part of many biological studies, including taxonomic works. Such data is embraced by taxonomists for good reasons. When combined with comparative morphology, palaeontology, and embryology, it creates a rich, integrated overview of the history of life. This book is intended as a clear articulation of the mission, goals, and needs of fundamental taxonomists and a planetary-scale inventory of species by revisiting the idea of taxonomy as a fusion of the traditional questions asked by taxonomists and the latest technologies. It is a clear roadmap to a taxonomic renaissance and world species inventory.

Key Features:

• Establishes the role and responsibilities of natural history museums to baseline taxonomic studies
• Emphasizes the potential of 'descriptive' taxonomy
• Proposes a cyberinfrastructure specifically designed to meet the needs of taxonomists to do taxonomy
• Provides a clear statement of taxonomy's mission, goals, and prospects
• Reviews taxonomic philosophies and codes of nomenclature from an historical perspective