Now at "proof of concept stage"
Aiming for over 3M names via
crowdsourcing, it is already
usefully functional.
See details

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INTRODUCTORY NOTES for Time-band 2000  [& see Home/Notes]
         a)   AVAILABLE NAMES
         b)   RECENT HISTORY
         c)   ELEVEN USES for BioLists
         d)   MORE KEY FEATURES
 

a)
Time-band 2000 - AVAILABLE  NAMES at  14 November, 2015
           1723 ORDERS;  8318 Families;  17,473 Genera;  6338 species;  16,966 Common.  Total: 50K

 +  ORDERS:  A full range of taxonomic ORDERS in accepted (Time-band 2000) taxonomic sequence.
   +  Families:   almost all living and fossil Families are present.
     +  Genera:     all Genus names are included for all Flowering Plants, Amphibians, many Birds, and some Mammal groups.
       +  species:    all Sharks, 'all' aquarium Fishes,  most aquatic Birds, plus all Whales and Dolphins, and sundry other groups.

     Note:  When searching on Common Names, each species record can be checklisted (with its classification) within a few seconds.
               With searches using Family- and Genus-level entry, some keying-in will be needed, taking just a few seconds more for each record.


Time-band 2010 - AVAILABLE  NAMES  (incomplete)  - at 27 September, 2015:
          692 ORDERS;  3824 Families; 16,693 Genera;  5116 species and 11,611 Common and Vernacular Names.  Total: 38K

    ORDERS and Families, in recent classifications for Flowering Plants, Sharks, Bony Fishes, Many Birds, also Cetatians,  and some other Vertebrate groups.
           All Genera of Flowering Plants are available in Time-band 2010 using the APG-III (2010) Classification.  Similar for all fishes.

COMMON NAMES:
--  The Database can accommodate multiple, searchable COMMON and VERNACULAR (Language-based) species Names.
--  All species-level names (binomials) are given a single, unique UTILITY Name (based on its Genus names);  this is for global use.
--  Well known species are also given a single less-formal (more usable), but also unique, TAG Name.  Otherwise the "Tag" can be its Utility Name.

--  Most Whales, Porpoises and Dolphins are named in English, French, Canadian French, German and Italian.  As yet, there are few Asian names.
--  Currently, most Common Names are for New Zealand Flowering Plants and New Zealand Birds, in both the NZ Maori language and NZ English.

--  Using Vernacular and Common Names (as a 3-character prompt),  returns a basic Classification for the named species:  Then add your Notes.
--  In your BioLists, use the Common Names you know best. Hey!  Made up Common Names may be most memorable for you and your group.
 
NB:  Time-bands are a BioList's innovation.  As each Time-band (T-b) dataset fills up, a new version will be constructed - annually, if required.
--   By accepting the BioLists' names, all names and classification in your files will remain unchangead and compatible between all files for their Time-band.
--   In due course, your files, with their standard taxonomy for each Time-band, will be automatically updatable from one Time-band to the next.
--   As for name changes, reorganised classification will be automatically updatable from one Time-band to the next within a simplified Linnaean format.
--   BioLists is designed especially for Ecology and Natural History.  Other professional Biologists and Scientists may find it convenient as a first stop.


b)
RECENT HISTORY
--  Most recent major system updates: - - - to the Site, 07 August 2014; - - - - - - to the Database,  18 September 2014
--  Subsequent minor system updates: - - - to the Site, 17 August 2014; - - - - - - to the Database,  27 September 2015

     STEPS
--  14 Oct  2015   Sample Bengali and Hindustani names added.
--  27 Sept 2015   Higher Classification of Bony Fishes (plus many species) added in the developing genetic .
--  17 Aug  2014   TAG Names added.  This is a new optional type of Common Name:  try it to help standardize formal communications.
--  29 May  2014   New output file formats:  'Basic' and 'Notes'.
--  30 Sept 2013   All Shark species added. Checklists now exportable either with Taxonomic or Ecologic formats.
--  07 Aug  2013   Sample BioLists posted to illustrate key features.  Access these from Home page and ABOUT.
--  19 June 2013   First online presence with significant supporting information on the 'ABOUT' pages.
--  29 May 2013    Utility (Common) Names (UCNs) are added.  A unique UCN accompanies each and all species names in any BioList.
--  26 May 2013    A "First Steps" Users' Manual is posted.  See: "ABOUT/32-point USER's GUIDE";
--  17 May 2013   The Index of 131 available Languages is moved to a new "ABOUT/Languages" page, where other new pages are added.
--  21 Feb  2013   Two BioLists are down-loadable as examples.  These, use current Plant Classifications, and a T-b 2010 update.
--  17 Feb  2013   All Plants, Birds and Mammals can be checklisted at Genus level in both T-b 2000 and T-b 2010 Classifications.
--  01 Feb  2013   Today, the menus are looking good; trouble shooting may be at an end. It's 1000 days since commiting to put this online!
--  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  :  Full binomial species' names (Genus + species) termed "Scientific", are now available. [Remodelled 7 Aug 2013]
--  04 Jan  2013   A new Language feature integrates: i) approximate numbers of native speakers, ii) biodiversity, and iii) new biogeography.
--  04 Jan  2013   A third taxonomic level, T-b 2005, is accessible, initially for Insects, still mostly at Family level.
--  23 Dec 2012  A second, updated, version of Taxonomic Classification for Angiosperms and Birds is now online as "T-b 2010".
                                 --  T-b 2010 is additional to and independent of the inaugural "T-b 2000" taxonomy. Keep these apart in separate BioLists.
-- 09 Dec 2012   Multilingual Common Names (T-b 2000) became searchable. See "Language Index" c/o 'Your BioLists'/'Options'.
-- 24 Sept   2012   Initial online presence offering most features for checklisting all Biodiversity, using Time-band 2000 classification.


c)  
ELEVEN USES for BioLists
   USE--1:  BROWSING
                     Simple:-  Enter 3-characters, eg "ele", select "Elephant", and get the Names and Classification for living (and fossil) Elephants.
   USE--2:  CHECKLISTING((
                     Simple:-  Using 3-character prompts, quickly build your selection of species into a sophisticated, classified, biodiversity checklist.
   USE--3:  DATA COLLECTION
                     Simple:-  Make a Biodiversity checklists, and for each species add notes and observations - any species; any sort of data.
   USE--4:  A TAXONOMIC STANDARD
                     Basic:-  BioLists offers a single, middle-of-the-road Classification (but see USE-7) in a way that offers great taxonomic compatibility.
   USE--5:  INFORMATION MANAGEMENTe) 
                     Simple:-  BioLists puts all species' records into a meaningful sequence (Classification): Species' names are the Index for your records.
   USE--6:  DATA RETRIEVAL
                  .  Simple:-  Indexed to species' names, your data is in a predictable and memorable sequence. Files are easy to scan, compare and merge.
   USE--7:  TAXONOMIC UPDATES
                     Basic:-  Taxonomy evolves, so BioLists offers updated "Time-bands" (T-bs).  Updating your files to each new version will be automatic.
   USE--8:  COMMON NAMES
                     Fantastic:-  These put even the youngest students of Natural History and Conservation in touch with local Ecosystems - and each other.
   USE--9:  UTILITY COMMON NAMES (UCNs) and TAG COMMON NAMES (TCNs)
                     Novel:- There's a unique 'formal UCN' for every named species, and a unique 'informal TCN' for many: designed for simplicity and stability.
   USE-10:  EDUCATION
                     Realistic:-  It's designed to serve Biodiversity Education, local Natural History, species-level Ecology, and community-level Conservation.
   USE-11:  ALTERNATIVE SYSTEMS
                     Academic:-  BioLists will assist Group experts to experiment with alternative Taxonomic Classifications, to compared and relate them.


d)
MORE KEY FEATURES
 a  -- BioLists is a no-frills, scientific, Information and Communications Technology system, an ICT tool to help do a big job for the environment.
 b  -- It contains a conservative system of Classification covering all biodiversity based on the international Linnean system of Scientific Names.
 c  -- This Taxonomy is managed by the international scientific community by way of a range of International Codes of Biological Nomenclature.
 d --  BioLists is less concerned with protocols than with offering a quick and repeatable standard service. Who "owns" the service remains open.
 e --  BioLists is designed to make all taxonomic names both easily accessible and readily usable,  including Common and Vernacular Names.
 f  --  The BioLists' system accepts local and regional Common Names in many languages, each linked to the unique scientific names of species.
 g  -- BioLists offers a new approach to data capture and recording for biodiversity: classified species names become the Index for the information.
 h  -- We promise to keep BioLists basic and simple and away from the unstable cutting edge of taxonomy.  Its design gives it taxonomic stability.
 i  -- The BioLists' brand of ICT is especially suited to lab and field work, and for projects in Education, Natural History, Ecology and Conservation.
 j  -- "View DB" offers a look into the Database. You locate names alphabetically and then numerically. Numbers relate names to Classification.
 k -- The Biodiversity Numbers ("BDV-#s") put all taxa in a conventional sequence at ORDER level: eg Algae...Plants...Fungi...Ants...Fish...Bats...
 l --  Sub-groups are usually alphabetic within nested (heirarchical) sequence (as illustrated numerically in exported CSV files).
m -- The taxonomic sequence differs between each Time-band (T-b); updates represent newly accepted research results about relationships.
n -- This total classification of names becomes BioLists' single INDEX - it's a more-or-less predictable sequence that defines checklist structure.
o  -- BioLists' main function is biodiversity checklisting: users record species-related observations against any-and-all species names.
p  -- In place of arbitrary alphabetic listings of Biodiversity information, BioLists offers the option of using a meaningful taxonomic sequence.
q  -- BioLIsts should interest teachers, librarians, parents, scientists, farmers, foresters, academics, fishermen, gardeners, resource managers ...

END
 

The United Nations' DECADE of BIODIVERSITY started in Hyderabad, India, October 2012.