1010 K. Sreedevi et al.
Schlick-Steiner et al. ( 2010 ) have offered the
most detailed treatment of the process of integra-
tive taxonomy. They stressed that integrative tax-
onomy does not replace traditional taxonomy, but
that it uses complementarity among disciplines to
improve rigor. Their integrative procedure relies
on an agreement among three “conclusive” dis-
ciplines that is both proscriptive and restrictive,
and disciplines and datasets are defined rather
arbitrarily. Several studies cited as examples of
integrative taxonomy by Schlick-Steiner et al.
( 2010 ) used correlative approaches to compare
molecular data and morphology (Malhotra and
Thorpe 2005 ; Yoder et al. 2005 ; Rissler and Apo-
daca 2007 ; Roe and Sperling 2007 ). The determi-
nation of origin and their evolution trajectories of
a species will trigger the species delimitation in a
better manner (Padial et al. 2010 ).
Yeates et al. ( 2011 ) surveyed the current taxo-
nomic methods (inclusive of both morphological
and molecular characters) employed in delimit-
ing the species and identified two challenges,
which if met, will provide a more complete
toolkit and a more robust research program in
integrative taxonomy and proposed alternatively
the term “iterative taxonomy” for the practice of
treating species boundaries as hypotheses that are
to be tested with evidence. Delineating the spe-
cies boundaries accurately is crucial to discovery
of life’s diversity (Dayrat 2005 ).
Role of Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs) in
Systematics
A biggest challenge of a systematist while deal-
ing with the larger taxa with numerous species
having possessing complex variations at species
and population levels is to look into the charac-
ter evaluation (Ramamurthy 2003 ). Evaluation
of character itself is a complex task that involves
computational methods in screening the charac-
ters (Ramamurthy 2003 ). Computer simulation
and modeling help in resolving certain phylo-
genetic issues in building up the tree with in-
tercession. Potential evolutionary relationships
are being evaluated with the help of computer
assisted programs based on character data (let it
be morphological in terms of numerical values or
DNA sequences).
Another dimension of ICTs in systematics is
in the field of automation of information with
the taxonomic expertise in their respective areas.
Lyal et al. ( 2008 ) stressed the need of accessi-
bility of user-friendly identification tools. Digi-
tization of the biological collections and descrip-
tions helps in buildup of virtual information for
the benefit of all researchers and scientists. The
transformation of the processes of science and its
outcomes is possible only through ICTs which
are adept at dissemination. The databases created
would largely help the present and future workers
in respective line of work.
The taxonomists mandate should be built up
of databases, online publications of new taxa and
monographs, development of interactive keys
and virtual repositories, generation of distribu-
tion maps and predictive models utilizing both
the approaches, conventional and molecular for
the benefit of speedy growth.Conclusion
We attempted in this chapter to present an over-
view of the genesis and the growth of taxonomy,
both as a science and as a tool, of species iden-
tification and documentation. The integration of
new knowledge and methods of population biol-
ogy, phylogenetics, and other evolutionary dis-
ciplines into taxonomy is warranted (Sites and
Marshall 2004 ). The analysis and interpretation
of data used to delimit the species have profound
implications in taxonomic research (Yeates et al.
2011 ). Dayrat ( 2005 ) stated that “integrative tax-
onomy” gives priority to species delineation over
the creation of new species names and also opined
that a radical change in mentality is needed con-
cerning the creation of names in order to achieve
this integration and to prevent the overabundance
of both synonyms and names of doubtful applica-
tion from worsening.
The integration of all possible taxonomic ap-
proaches abridging the gaps of each in arriving
at correct species delimitation is the need of hour