title: Overestimation of molecular and modelling methods and underestimation of traditional taxonomy leads to real problems in assessing and handling of the world's biodiversity.
abstract: Since the 1992 Rio Convention on Biological Diversity, the earth's biodiversity is a matter of constant public interest, but the community of scientists who describe and delimit species in mega-diverse animal groups, i.e. the bulk of global biodiversity, faces ever-increasing impediments. The problems are rooted in poor understanding of specificity of taxonomy, and overestimation of quantitative approaches and modern technology. A high proportion of the animal species still remains to be discovered and studied, so a more balanced approach to the situation is needed.
authors.affiliation: CH-1255 Veyrier, Switzerland [Muséum d'histoire naturelle, rte de Malagnou 1, CH-1208 Geneva, Switzerland].; Email: ivan.lobl@bluewin.ch.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Löbl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D004777:Environment; D007390:International Agencies; D007391:International Cooperation; D011157:Population Dynamics; D013045:Species Specificity