Some thoughts on taxonomy, with reference to nematology

Inaugural lecture--Department of Zoology, Rand Afrikaans University, 28 August 1973Taxonomy is outlined as that branch of zoology dealing with the discovery, identification, naming, description, and classification of animal species. A century or two ago taxonomy, along with morphology and anatomy, was one of the main fields of interest in zoology. After about the middle of the nineteenth century, with the advent of experimental biology, many biologists regarded taxonomy as an obsolete science. On the basis of several examples from the field of nematology, it is shown that taxonomy is still essential, especially for the more applied branches of biology, such as agriculture. It is pointed out that the emphasis on ecology in the more recent past, and the demands that ecology makes upon taxonomy, tends to reinstate taxonomy in its proper place as one of the most basic biological sciences. In refutation of the frequently heard accusation that taxonomy has been static for the last century or more, attention is drawn to the continuous consideration of new approaches and the adaptation of new techniques