Editing Encyclopedia:WikiProject Tree of Life

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==Article alerts==
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==Taxonomic articles by quality log==
{{Wikipedia:Version 1.0 Editorial Team/Taxonomic articles by quality log}}
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==Article titles==
{{Main|Wikipedia:Article titles|Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Animals, plants, and other organisms}}
In cases where there is a formal common name (e.g. for birds), or when common names are well known and reasonably unique (e.g. "Cuvier's dwarf caiman"), they should be used for article titles. In all other cases, scientific names should be used.  
See [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (flora)]] for article titles for plants and [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (fauna)]] for article titles for animals.
Note the following guidelines in using scientific names:
* Names of genera are always italicized and capitalized, e.g. ''Homo'', ''Rosa'', ''Saccharomyces''.
* [[Species]] epithets are always italicized and preceded by the name of the genus, either in full or abbreviated (e.g. ''Homo sapiens'' or ''H. sapiens''; never just ''sapiens''), as an epithet may also be used for a different species in another genus. They are never capitalized. 
* Names of higher taxa are capitalized but not italicized, e.g. Hominidae, Mammalia, Animalia.
* Common (vernacular) names are not capitalised (except for proper names that are part of them). See [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Animals, plants, and other organisms]].
For a [[monotypic taxon]] (one that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon), a single article should cover both taxa (unless the higher-ranked one has had multiple [[Circumscription (taxonomy)|circumscriptions]], and an article is written to cover them all).  If there is no common name, the article should generally go under the scientific name that is most often used when discussing the two taxa, or under the scientific name of lowest rank if there is no clear preference.  However, for a monotypic genus (one that contains a single species), the genus name should be used, as it is included in the [[binomial nomenclature]], and the genus title is [[WP:CONCISE|more concise]] than the binomial.  For instance, the order Amphionidacea, which has the single species ''Amphionides reynaudii'', is discussed at ''[[Amphionides]]''. If the name of a monotypic genus is shared with another topic, it is usually more appropriate to use a binomial as a [[WP:NATURALDIS|natural disambiguation]], rather than using a parenthetical disambiguating term for the genus. E.g., ''[[Alberta magna]]'' is a more natural search term than [[Alberta (plant)|''Alberta'' (plant)]].
Not all species need have separate articles. The simplest (and probably best) rule is to have ''no'' rule: if you have the time and energy to write up some particularly obscure subspecies that most people have never even heard of, go for it!  As a general guideline, though, it's best to combine separate species into a single entry whenever it seems likely that there won't be enough text to make more than a short, unsatisfying stub otherwise. If the entry grows large enough to deserve splitting, that can always be done later.
A useful heuristic is to create articles in a "downwards" order, that is, family articles first, then genus, then species.  If you find that information is getting thin, or the family/genus is small, leave the species information in the family or genus article. Don't try to force it down any further.
==Taxon article templates==
{{Main|Wikipedia:WikiProject Tree of Life/Taxon template|Wikipedia:WikiProject Tree of Life/Cultivar infobox}}
{{see also|Wikipedia:Automated taxobox system|Wikipedia:Automated taxobox system/intro}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Example taxobox<br/>Cetaceans
| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|53.5|0|earliest=|latest=|PS=}}Early [[Eocene]]&nbsp;– Present
| image = The Cetacea.jpg
| image_upright = 1.4
| image_caption = Clockwise from top: [[sperm whale]] (''Physeter macrocephalus''), [[Amazon river dolphin]] (''Inia geoffrensis''), [[Blainville's beaked whale]] (''Mesoplodon densirostris''), [[southern right whale]] (''Eubalaena australis''), [[narwhal]] (''Monodon monoceros''), [[humpback whale]] (''Megaptera novaeangliae''), [[killer whale]] (''Orcinus orca''), [[gray whale]] (''Eschrichtius robustus'') and [[harbor porpoise]] (''Phocoena phocoena'').
| taxon = Cetacea
| authority = [[Mathurin Jacques Brisson|Brisson]], 1762
| subdivision_ranks = [[Parvorder]]s
| subdivision =
*[[Mysticeti]]
*[[Odontoceti]]
*{{Extinct}}[[Archaeoceti]]
''([[Cetacea#Classification|see text]] for families)''
| diversity = Around 88 species
| diversity_link = List of cetaceans
}}
Articles about taxa, such as families, genera, or species, typically contain some or all of these sections:
*(Physical) Description
*Taxonomy
*Distribution and habitat
*Ecology and behavior
*Conservation
*Uses
*Culture
See the general [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Tree of Life/Taxon template|taxon template]] and descendant project pages, such as the [[Wikipedia:WikiProject_Plants/Template|WikiProject Plants taxon template]], for more detail specific to different groups.
==Taxoboxes Guide==
{{see also|Wikipedia:Automated taxobox system|Wikipedia:Automated taxobox system/intro|Wikipedia:WikiProject Tree of Life/Cultivar infobox}}
Detailed taxonomic information, including notes on how [[Taxon|taxa]] are defined and how they vary between different systems, belongs in the article proper.  Where possible, however, a standard table will be provided to allow easier navigation between related groups and quick identification of what sort of organisms are being discussed.  These are called taxoboxes.  A typical taxobox is shown at right (it belongs on the top right of the page [[Cetacea]]).
There are three main sections to the taxobox:
*A header showing the name of the group, sometimes followed by a representative image.
*A table showing the placement of the group in a typical classification system.
*A footer, whose content varies, showing the binomial name or a species, or a list of subgroups for higher taxa.
Some items that are often included, but are not (necessarily) standardized, include:
*Breeding organizations' classifications ([[Dingo]])
*[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Maps/Conventions/Area maps|Range map]] (see, for example, [[Orca]])
*Synonyms ([[European lobster]])
Position: The taxobox generally belongs at the top right corner of the article, unless it has been decided otherwise on the relevant talk page - for instance, if the article is not primarily about the biological group.
For [[cultivar]]s — cultivated varieties of plants — don't use a taxobox; instead use a '''cultivar infobox''' ({{tl|Infobox cultivar}}) as described at '''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Tree of Life/Cultivar infobox]]'''.
For breeds of animals, don't use a taxobox; instead use the appropriate breed template; see for example [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Dogs/Dog breeds task force]] and [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Equine/Horse breeds]].
===Talkpages===
Tag talkpages with: {{tlx|WikiProject Tree of Life|class{{=}}|importance{{=}}}}
==Categories==
Major groups should be given their own categories. When possible, these should use the common name in the plural, except for plants, where [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Plants|WikiProject Plants]] uses scientific names by default (see [[WP:NCFLORA]]). In general, only articles about major subgroups should be added, and more specific articles should be included in subcategories. However, when there are only a few articles about members of the group, they can all go directly into the main category. Use your judgement on when to split, aiming for an approximate category size of 10-50 articles.
Note that in addition to taxa, categories may also contain informal subgroups. For instance [[:Category:Primates]] may include an article or subcategory for monkeys, although they are not treated as a formal group. They may also include some other articles that pertain specifically to members of the group, although they are not about them.
Categories for articles about the [[Biota (ecology)|biota]] of a region should be based on the common grouping of that region used by zoological, botanical, mycological etc. publications. For example, if it is common to separate a region based on political boundaries (as in parts of Europe), categories should be separated by countries. If it is common to separate regions based on geographic features (such as [[New Guinea]]), categories should be separated by geographic region.
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== Sample articles ==

A number of articles under this WikiProject and its descendants have been recognized for their excellence by the Wikipedia community as [[Wikipedia:Featured articles|featured articles]] or [[Wikipedia:Featured lists|featured lists]], and may serve as good models. The articles are sorted by WikiProject:
*'''General''': [[Archaea]], [[Bacteria]], [[Ediacaran biota]], ''[[Helicobacter pylori]]'', ''[[Myxobolus cerebralis]]'', [[Starfish]]
*'''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Amphibians and Reptiles|Amphibians and Reptiles]]''': [[Australian green tree frog]], [[Cane toad]], [[Crocodilia]], [[Frog]], [[Green and golden bell frog]], [[Hawksbill sea turtle]], [[List of snakes of Trinidad and Tobago]], [[List of Testudines families]]
*'''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Arthropods|Arthropods]]''': [[Isopoda]], ''[[Jaekelopterus]]'', ''[[Megarachne]]'', [[Millipede]], ''[[Onychopterella]]''
**'''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Insects|Insects]]''': ''[[Aleeta curvicosta]]'', [[Ant]], [[Horse-fly]], [[List of Odonata species of Great Britain]], [[List of ant subfamilies]], [[Mayfly]]
**'''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Spiders|Spiders]]''': [[Redback spider]]
*'''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Birds|Birds]]''': [[Albatross]], [[American goldfinch]], [[Arctic tern]], [[Bald eagle]], [[California condor]], [[Common raven]], [[Elfin woods warbler]], [[Emu]], [[Kakapo]], [[List of birds of Florida]], [[List of birds of Kansas]], [[List of birds of Nicaragua]], [[List of birds of Thailand]], [[Mourning dove]], [[Procellariidae]], [[Red-tailed black cockatoo]], [[Seabird]] 
*'''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Dinosaurs|Dinosaurs]]''': ''[[Albertosaurus]]'', ''[[Archaeopteryx]]'', ''[[Compsognathus]]'', ''[[Diplodocus]]'', [[Dinosaur]], ''[[Iguanodon]]'', [[List of dinosaur genera]], ''[[Psittacosaurus]]'', ''[[Stegosaurus]]'', ''[[Styracosaurus]]'', ''[[Triceratops]]'', ''[[Tyrannosaurus]]'', ''[[Velociraptor]]''
*'''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Fungi|Fungi]]''': ''[[Amanita muscaria]]'', ''[[Amanita ocreata]]'', ''[[Amanita phalloides]]'', ''[[Cyathus]]'', ''[[Gyromitra esculenta]]'', [[List of Armillaria species|List of ''Armillaria'' species]]
*'''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Mammals|Mammals]]''': [[Elephant]], [[European hare]], [[Giraffe]], [[List of fruit bats]], [[List of mammals of Florida]], [[List of mammals of Korea]]
**'''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Cats|Cats]]''': [[Bobcat]], [[Cougar]], [[Jaguar]], [[Lion]], [[List of felids]], ''[[Smilodon]]''
**'''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Cetaceans|Cetaceans]]''': [[Baleen whale]], [[Blue whale]], [[Fin whale]], [[Humpback whale]], [[Killer whale]], [[Right whale]], [[Sei whale]], [[List of cetacean species]]
**'''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Dogs|Dogs]]''': [[Beringian wolf]], [[Dire wolf]], [[Golden jackal]], [[List of canids]]
**'''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Monotremes and Marsupials|Monotremes and Marsupials]]''': [[Platypus]], [[Short-beaked echidna]], [[Tasmanian devil]], [[Thylacine]]
**'''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Primates|Primates]]''': [[Lemur]], [[List of lemur species]], [[The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates]], [[Primate]], [[Ring-tailed lemur]], [[Slow loris]]
*'''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Plants|Plants]]''': ''[[Cucurbita]]'', ''[[Ficus macrophylla]]'', ''[[Lambertia formosa]]'', [[List of basil cultivars]], [[List of the largest genera of flowering plants]], ''[[Verbascum thapsus]]''
**'''''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Banksia|Banksia]]''''': ''[[Banksia attenuata|B.&nbsp;attenuata]]'', ''[[Banksia brownii|B.&nbsp;brownii]]'', ''[[Banksia epica|B.&nbsp;epica]]'', ''[[Banksia ericifolia|B.&nbsp;ericifolia]]'', ''[[Banksia integrifolia|B.&nbsp;integrifolia]]'', ''[[Banksia serrata|B.&nbsp;serrata]]''
**'''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Carnivorous plants|Carnivorous plants]]''': ''[[Drosera regia]]'', ''[[Pinguicula moranensis]]''
*'''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Sharks|Sharks]]''': ''[[Cretoxyrhina]]'', [[Goblin shark]], [[Megalodon]], [[Oceanic whitetip shark]], [[Pigeye shark]], [[Porbeagle]], [[Silky shark]]
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