MediaWiki:Taxobox/doc

This template sets up a taxobox, a table setting out the Biological classification (taxonomy) for a group of living things with a choice of over 135 parameters. Although the implementation is complicated, it is relatively simple to use. For an example in practice, look at the edit page of Killer Whale - []. Most parameters are optional, so if a particular entry is not relevant for your case, just leave it out.

This guide has come out of WikiProject Tree of life.

Usage
The color tag should not be included, as colors are assigned based on the table below.

Plant species


Animal species


Plant higher taxon


Animal higher taxon


Name
For plants, see Naming conventions (flora).

For all other living things, the name should be the most common name when one is in widespread use, and a scientific name otherwise.
 * Common names of higher taxa are always given in sentence case and in the plural (e.g. Marine hatchetfishes).
 * Common names of species and subspecies are sometimes given in title case (e.g. White Wagtail), and sometimes in sentence case (e.g. Colorado potato beetle).

Color
The color is automatically assigned based on the entry for "regnum" (or "virus_group"); there is no need to specify it manually.

The eukaryote box uses the color "#e0d0b0", but since it is split completely into kingdoms other eukaryote groups should not.

Classification
As noted above, the classification section includes some or all of the following:


 * regnum =
 * phylum =
 * classis =
 * ordo =
 * familia =
 * genus =
 * species =

Each entry corresponds to a containing group, except for the last, which should be the group under consideration. Note the entries use the Latin names for the ranks, to make porting between Wikipedias easier. Thus the above correspond to the kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.

Taxoboxes should include all major ranks above the taxon described in the article, plus minor ranks that are important to understanding the classification of the taxon described in the article, or which are discussed in the article. Other minor ranks should be omitted.

For example, in the taxobox for the genus Formica, it's appropriate to include entries for tribe and subfamily, since those are an aid to understanding how Formica relates to other genera in the family Formicidae. But it wouldn't be appropriate to include the superorder Endopterygota, since all genera of ants are in that superorder; it isn't particularly interesting at this level.

Another example is the subfamily Bambusoideae, the bamboos. This subfamily probably should be mentioned in the taxobox of every bamboo species, since it is a major grouping in this context, despite its minor rank.

Minor ranks are included in the same way as major ranks, for example:


 * classis = ...
 * subclassis = ...
 * superordo = ...
 * ordo = ...

Note that species and subspecies should be given using the abbreviated forms of their name — e.g. H. sapiens, H. s. sapiens. The epithets should not be given by themselves. The full form of the species or subspecies name is given in the binomial or trinomial section.

See for a complete list.

Classification status
With the classification_status parameter, it is possible to introduce extra text within parentheses after "Scientific classification". For example, |classification_status=disputed will produce "Scientific classification (disputed)". See Oryzomys anoblepas for a current example where this parameter is used. This parameter should only be used when the "Scientific classification" text would be misleading without it.

Divisions and sections
These ranks have different meanings in zoology and botany.

In botany:
 * Use divisio for division (a rank above class and below kingdom)
 * Use sectio for section (a rank above species and below genus)

Note: Certain very large genera, e.g. Rhododendron include subsections

In zoology:
 * Use zoodivisio for division (a rank above family and below order)
 * Use zoosectio for section (a rank above family and below order)

Unranked taxa
For each major taxon from family to phylum, you can add an unranked entry to the taxobox. The entry unranked_X appears above rank X, for example unranked_familia appears above family and superfamily and below order, suborder, infraorder, etc:


 * ordo =
 * unranked_familia =
 * familia =

Use unranked taxa sparingly. The need to include unranked taxa generally indicates that you are following phylogenetic nomenclature. It is usually better to abbreviate the classification to the major ranks and then discuss the classification in more detail in the article.

Viruses
Viruses follow a slightly different system. They are not placed in taxa above the rank of order, and instead are treated in seven groups based on the type of nucleic acid they contain, referred to by the Roman numerals I to VII. These can be included in the taxobox using the virus_group argument. This also changes the link from scientific to virus classification, so it should not appear on boxes for non-viruses, even if it is left blank.


 * virus_group = IV

Bold/italic markup
Italicization must be done manually. Genus, species, and subspecies should be italicized whenever used, as is the biological standard. For instance, we talk about the genus Homo, the species Homo sapiens, and the subspecies Homo sapiens sapiens. Higher taxa like families may or may not be italicized in different publications. The prevalent standard for Wikipedia is not to italicize them, except in the case of viruses and other infectious particles.
 * In botany, it is important to include the rank for taxa below species. The rank is not italicized, e.g. Genus species subsp. subspecies var. variety.
 * Some bacteria that have been characterized but not formally named are given Candidatus names. These should be written in the form Candidatus Genus species, rather than italicized normally.

Bolding is used to indicate the subject of the article. The name, binomial, and trinomial arguments bold automatically. In the placement section - regnum through species - the final taxon should be bolded, as well as any higher groups that only include the final taxon. See green sulfur bacteria for an example. In the article itself, the name of the group should only be bolded if it is the title of the article:
 * Critter (Creepus crawlus) is a beastie that lives in habitat.
 * Snagotoothus unkillabilis is a horrible weed with no common name.

Subdivisions
Groups above the rank of species (and even species if there are several notable subspecies) should usually include a list of subgroups. Use the subdivision argument for the list, separating elements by &lt;br&gt; tags, and the subdivision_ranks argument to say what rank the subgroups have. For instance, for families in an order:

Family1 Family2 Family3
 * subdivision_ranks = Families
 * subdivision =

In cases where a list would make the taxobox too long, or where the classification is too variable to allow a brief summary, the list should be replaced with a comment like "See text". or the subdivision section should be omitted. In general, when there are more than about 20 subgroups they should go in the article text, and when there are more than 100 they warrant a separate article.

In cases where the classification is variable, a description like "Typical orders" or "Notable orders" may be used.

In cases where the ranks are uncertain, a description like "Subgroups" or "Taxa" may be preferable. Sometimes it is convenient to represent more than one level of classification in the list. In that case the lower level groups are moved over to the right by prefixing them with &amp;nbsp; characters - usually three for the first level of indentation, and then one to three more for each subsequent level. Major grades may also be represented by bolded headers, as on plant and heterokont. Remember, though, these should mainly be done when the intermediate rank subgroups are not worthy of separate articles; taxoboxes are too small to include too much duplicate information.

Conservation status
Conservation status may optionally be included; you can search the IUCN's database of threatened species to find the conservation status of many organisms. It is included via the status argument, which takes a code or template. It is not appropriate for prehistoric organisms - the  parameter may be a more sensible option.

| status = code

or

| status = EX | extinct = year

Use the first syntax (with one of the codes below) except for extinct animals when you wish to show the year of extinction. The code may be all upper or lower case, but the cases used in the table are preferred.

You may come across the old syntax for conservation status also: (do not use)

| status =

If you find a taxobox like this, you can safely replace the template with the corresponding code, see also taxobox status.

The following status codes are available (the third column shows the corresponding template, but this is obsolete and the code is preferred):


 * Notes:
 * Not a valid IUCN Red List category.
 * | status = fossil is deprecated in favour of | fossil_range =</tt> start-</tt>end (see the section below).
 * Use LR/lc or LR/nt or LR/cd instead

Referencing conservation status
To add a reference for the status, use

 | status_ref = </tt>

See IUCN2008, IUCN2007, IUCN2006, or IUCN for the arguments you need to supply to that template. And don't forget that  </tt> requires a corresponding  to refer to the reason (e.g. new research) mentioned within the article:

...

New research suggests critical status
A recent study...

Fossil range
The stratigraphic range for groups known as fossils may also be included, using the fossil_range argument. For instance, for a group known from the Cambrian to the Permian:


 * fossil_range = Cambrian–Permian

You may wish to add a diagrammatic representation of the fossil range (see Chitinozoan for a working example), which can be done using the following syntax:


 * fossil_range = Cambrian–Permian

For groups that still exist, the second period should be given as "Recent" or as "Holocene" for Late Quaternary extinctions such as the Moa, and the current status should be indicated using the status argument. For groups that only existed during a single period, simply list it without giving a range.

Images
An image can be included using the argument image. It is highly recommended that an image be provided if one is available. Do not include the "File:" part of the image file name!

If an image is included, alt text should be provided using image_alt. Alt text should not repeat the caption; instead, it should describe the image to someone who can't see it (see WP:ALT).

A caption can be provided using image_caption. A caption need not be provided if it would just repeat the title of the article. It should be provided if it can convey any additional information about the image, such as the sex or life stage of the individual, the location where the picture was taken, the artist (if an engraving or other illustration), or (for higher taxa) the particular species depicted.


 * image = Sweetbay1082.jpg
 * image_alt = White flower surrounded by long green leaves.
 * image_caption = Magnolia virginiana

By default, the image width is determined by users' default thumb size preferences. In general, it is recommended that these preferences be honoured. In some cases, however, it may be desirable to overrule the default size; this can be achieved by use of the image_width parameter. Note that the Manual of Style recommends that if the default thumb size of a lead image is to be overruled, it should be made at least 300px wide, so that users whose default thumb size is 300px do not end up with a lead image smaller than the other images in the article.


 * image = Sweetbay1082.jpg
 * image_alt = White flower surrounded by long green leaves.
 * image_caption = Magnolia virginiana
 * image_width = 320px

A second image may be added by use of the image2, image2_alt, image2_caption and image2_width arguments. Use this sparingly, and only when the article is long enough, and it makes sense to include the second image here and not later in the article. Camel is a good example (a genus with two well-known representatives).

Authorities
Generally, an authority should be given only for the taxa covered by the article. Higher groups which only include the article subject should also list authorities unless those are the same as for the taxa in question. In the case of species (or subspecies) the authority may be given in the binomial (or trinomial) section. Otherwise authorities may be listed in the placement section. For instance, for an order:


 * ordo =
 * ordo_authority =

The following examples illustrate the different conventions for names, dates, and punctuations in the different kingdoms.
 * Animalia
 * Original name valid: Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758
 * Organism reclassified: Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) (originally Felis leo)
 * Plantae
 * Original name valid: Magnolia virginiana L.
 * Organism reclassified: Anacamptis pyramidalis (L.) Rich. (originally Orchis pyramidalis)
 * Bacteria
 * Original name valid: Vibrio cholerae R. Koch 1883
 * Organism reclassified: Streptococcus pneumoniae (Klein 1884) Chester 1901 (originally Micrococcus pneumoniae)
 * Old name revived: Salmonella enterica (ex Kauffmann & Edwards 1952) Le Minor & Popoff 1987

Authorities in scientific names are also abbreviated according to different standards for plants and animals. To decipher standard abbreviations, see For more information refer to the article on binomial nomenclature.
 * List of botanists by author abbreviation or consult the International Plant Names Index.
 * List of zoologists by author abbreviation

Diversity
In higher taxa, and taxa where the subdivision option does not indicate number of species, the diversity argument may be used. This needs to be accompanied by diversity_link which links to an appropriate page, usually a List of ... species page. See, for example, Banksia: the subdivision lists only two subgenera, so the diversity option is used to specify the number of species.


 * diversity_link = List of Quercus species
 * diversity = c.120 species

It is not a good idea to be too precise about the number of species. Currently, several or even dozens of new species get described each year in many genera, especially invertebrates. Moreover, changing systematic treatment is liable to alter the species number even in well-known genera. Rounding off the species number and denoting this as approximate value will help decreasing maintenance.

Range maps
A range map may be included at the end of the taxobox. This uses the range_map, range_map_width, range_map_alt, and range_map_caption arguments, in the same manner as an image. See leopard (land animal), Northern Flicker non-migratory bird, Lesser Spotted Eagle (migratory bird) and orca (water animal) for examples.


 * range_map = Map.jpg
 * range_map_width = 240px
 * range_map_alt = Map showing ...
 * range_map_caption = Range of ...

Generate maps using Image:BlankMap-World-noborders.png, and scale it down (a width of 300 to 400 should be sufficient, the purpose of the map being a rough global overview; more detailed maps can always go to the article body) and add the map to Category:Habitat maps, or, preferably, if you upload the map to commons, to commons:Category:Animal distribution maps.

Synonyms
Where a species has synonyms, the synonyms argument may be used. This should be a list of synonyms separated by &lt;br/&gt; tags.

species1 Authority1 species2 Authority2
 * synonyms =

If the synonyms are too long to fit in a single line, you may also use a bulleted list:


 * synonyms =
 * species1 Authority1
 * species2 Authority2

The first format is preferred for clarity.


 * Please note: style element is not recommended in WikiProject Check Wikipedia, see discussion Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Check Wikipedia.

Nomenclator Zoologicus has data for all but the most recently-established animal genera. This may be hard to understand for non-specialists, but it is a comprehensive source for the authorship of genus names, both valid ones and junior synonyms. Sometimes one will note that a new name has been established because the older, original name was "preoccupied". This means it has already been established for another taxon of the same rank in the same kingdom before - even if that name is now a synonym too. Taxa that preoccupy a name can be linked in the Synonyms section, such as Stenorhynchus here.

Type species
When the type species of a genus (or larger grouping) is known, the type_species and type_species_authority can be used. For animal entries, the type species should be the original binomial name of the type species, but linked to its current article, and the authority should be plain (no parenthesis). See Mirza for a type species example.


 * type_species =
 * type_species_authority =

This follows ICZN Recommendation 67B; be aware that this means the taxon used by the genus' original author - even if it is now invalid, e.g. a junior synonym -. Ideally, it should only be used if the genus' original description can be verified first-hand. As per the following example given by the ICZN:

"Astacus marinus Fabricius, 1775, one of the nominal species originally included in the decapod crustacean genus Homarus Weber, 1795, was subsequently designated by Fowler (1912) as the type species of Homarus. The type species is, and should be cited as, Astacus marinus Fabricius, 1775. Astacus marinus Fabricius is currently synonymized with Cancer gammarus Linnaeus, 1758, but the latter is not the type species of Homarus and should not be cited as such. If mention of the type species is required it should be made in some such manner as 'Type species Astacus marinus Fabricius, 1775, a junior synonym of Cancer gammarus Linnaeus, 1758'; or 'Type species Astacus marinus Fabricius, 1775, now regarded as a synonym of Homarus gammarus (Linnaeus, 1758)'."

If you do not completely understand what this all means, please do not use this parameter. Instead, if possible denote the type species in the species listing, for example with a

(type species)

after the species' (currently valid) name.

Italic page titles
If any of the "genus", "species", or "binomial" parameters specified in the template exactly match the title of the page, and the "name" parameter is unspecified, the page's name in italicised form will be adopted as the name for the taxobox. In addition, the title of the page will be italicized using the magic word.

Complete blank template
This section gives all parameters in the order that they will appear in the taxobox. No taxobox should use all of these. Keep it short!

Articles lacking taxoboxes
For articles lacking taxoboxes, add Template:Missing-taxobox to the talk page. This may be done by typing   or    at the top of the talk page.