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How to navigate and use the Catalogue of Life

Campanula petiolata A.DC. - Photo CC By Zach Earl

The Catalogue of Life is updated on a monthly basis. The latest version can always be accessed through the website.

Browse

Browsing is an intuitive way to visualise and explore in a tree view the diversity of organisms that are included on the Catalogue of Life. Starting from the highest level of the taxonomic hierarchy, use the arrows at the start of any name to expand or collapse the tree. Work down the tree to locate a species.

Conversely, use the Find taxon search field to go directly to a taxon within the tree. You can search using both accepted and synonym names, although only the accepted names are displayed on the tree. Searching a synonym taxon will redirect you to its accepted name in COL. Click on the name of your interest to access the relevant details page.

Browse

For a more structured exploration of the Catalogue go to Search, where you would be able to:

  • Use the search box to type a scientific name or any other attribute parts of it, such as author name or year. Searches are case-insensitive.
  • Use the higher taxon box to constraint your search to names within the selected group. This returns a full list of matching scientific names, including synonyms and higher ranks.
  • Use the source dataset box to constraint your search to names provided by a specific Catalogue or checklist (i. e. WoRMS, ITIS, WFO.)

You will also find dropdown menus like Status and Rank to further filter your search.

Explore all available options by clicking on Advance. Each menu allows you to select more than one option.

Search

You can also choose the way your search matches the results:

  • Exact: returns results only if the search term and name are identical.
  • Words: returns results that match one or several entire words in any order.
  • Prefix: returns results where the text starts with a specific prefix.
  • Fuzzy: returns results that are similar to words of the search text.

By default you will access All the catalogue names, including those coming from authoritative vetted sources and from regional, national or policy- relevant sources (check Assembly for more details).

To search only within the vetted sources select Base, to search within the other sources select Extended. You can always identify the names coming from regional, national or policy- relevant sources by the XR icon next to them.

Click on the name of your interest to access the relevant details page.

Taxon Page

Once a taxon has been found by either route, more information is available on the taxon details page. Information available may include:

  • Identifier: Persistent identifier of that name within COL, this enables the user to track changes in scientific names between releases.
  • Name: The complete scientific name for the species, including authorship.
  • Checklist status: Current status of the name
  • Nomenclatural status: Any relevant note regarding the status of the name .
  • Synonyms and combinations: a list of synonyms or alternative combinations registered for a taxon.
  • Basionym: The original combination of the name.
  • Classification: List displaying the higher-level taxa under which the taxon is nested.
  • Vernacular names: If available, a list of common names for the taxon.
  • Distribution: If available, a list of regions and countries in which the taxon is recorded
  • Environment: If available, in which environment the species is known to occur, i.e. marine, freshwater, terrestrial, brackish.
  • Taxonomic scrutiny: Name and date of the person that last scrutinized the taxon.
  • Source: Two links: A direct link to the ChecklistBank dataset where this name and its information are published and a link to the page that describes the source database for the species record.
  • Link to original source: If available, this links to the corresponding species page in the original source
  • Secondary Sources: Link to additional sources that complement the taxon page information.
  • References: Bibliography references of the taxon name.

Downloads

You can download the current and all past versions of the Catalogue of Life from our archives.

Other Forms of Access

The latest version of Catalogue of Life and the monthly and Annual version can also be accessed through:

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