title

ZooBank as a mandatory tool in the arsenal of a zoological taxonomist

author(s)

Vitaly Dernov (orcid: 0000-0002-5873-394X)

affiliation

Institute of Geological Sciences, NAS of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine)
National Museum of Natural History, NAS of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine)

bibliography

Theriologia Ukrainica. 2026. Vol. 31: 199–204.

DOI

language

In Ukrainian, with English summary, titles of tables, captures to figs

abstract

According to the requirements of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, up to 1985 a zoological name was considered valid only if the work in which it was established was printed on paper. With the growth of digital publishing tools, it became necessary to update the rules to accommodate electronic publications, while ensuring the stability of zoological names. In 2012, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature adopted amendments to several articles of the Code. The main provisions of these amendments are as follows: after 2011, works published solely in electronic form can be considered available for the purposes of zoological nomenclature, provided that they have fixed content, include the date of publication, and provide evidence of registration with a Life Science Identifier issued by the Official Register of Zoological Nomenclature (ZooBank). Such works must also be published in a work bearing an ISBN or ISSN, and be registered with the name and Internet address of an organization, distinct from the publisher, that is designated for permanent archiving of the work. These amendments do not make ZooBank registration of all new names or nomenclatural acts mandatory; however, registration is required for electronic publications and is recommended in all cases for transparency and stability, regardless of the format of publication. ZooBank is the official registry of zoological nomenclature established under the auspices of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. The main functions of ZooBank include the official registration of new zoological names in accordance with the Code and the assignment of unique global identifiers. To register a taxon, a researcher must have a ZooBank account, complete publication data for the work in which the taxon is described, taxon information, diagnosis, and the date of publication. Registration of a new name involves two steps: registration of the scientific publication and registration of the nomenclatural act itself. The publication must be registered prior to its release; however, such pre-publication registrations remain hidden from public view on ZooBank. To make the registered information accessible to the scientific community, the ZooBank record must be updated after publication with the date of publication specified. This update must be made by the same user who originally registered the work.

keywords

ZooBank, International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, nomenclature act

references

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