Imagining Sisyphus happy: DNA barcoding and the unnamed majority

Area of Science:

• Biodiversity Science
• Molecular Biology
• Taxonomy

Background:

• Most life on Earth comprises micro- and meiobiota, which are numerically dominant and likely highly speciose.
• Traditional taxonomic efforts focus on larger, 'charismatic megabionts' due to morphological ease of species definition.
• The Linnaean system faces challenges in cataloging the estimated 10 million species within a reasonable timeframe.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore alternative methodologies for species identification beyond traditional morphology.
• To highlight the potential of DNA barcoding, specifically metabarcoding, for biodiversity assessment.
• To address the limitations of current taxonomic practices in capturing the full scope of Earth's biodiversity.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing DNA barcoding in its metabarcoding or metagenetics mode for organism identification.
• Identifying organisms based on diagnostic DNA sequences from unprocessed samples.
• Classifying unknown organisms into molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs).

Main Results:

• Metabarcoding enables identification of organisms without morphological processing.
• MOTUs provide a framework for classifying unseen and unknown species.
• This molecular toolkit offers a scalable solution for biodiversity cataloging.

Conclusions:

• DNA barcoding, particularly metabarcoding, is a powerful tool for addressing the challenge of naming Earth's vast number of species.
• This approach builds upon existing Linnaean foundations to advance biodiversity science.
• The deployment of MOTUs promises significant progress in understanding global biodiversity.