Integrated Taxonomic Information System facts for kids
The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is a group of government agencies working together. They are mostly from the United States, but also include agencies from Canada and Mexico. Their main job is to provide clear and reliable information about how living things are named and grouped. This is called taxonomy.
ITIS started in 1996. It helps scientists and the public find correct names for species. Experts from around the world help build this database. The main team works at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The technical support comes from a US Geological Survey office. ITIS mainly focuses on species found in North America. However, many groups of living things are found worldwide. So, ITIS works with other groups to include more global species.
Contents
The Catalogue of Life: A Big List of Species
ITIS works with an international partner called Species 2000. Together, they create the Catalogue of Life every year. This "Catalogue" is like a huge checklist and index of all the world's known species.
Their big goal was to list 1.9 million species by 2011. By May 2012, they had already listed 1.4 million species! This was a huge step towards creating the first complete list of all living things. ITIS and the Catalogue of Life are also key parts of the Encyclopedia of Life. This project aims to gather all information about life on Earth.
How ITIS Keeps Information Up-to-Date
Scientific names for plants and animals are not always set in stone. Scientists are always doing new research. This new research can change how species are grouped and named. The ITIS database is regularly updated to include these new discoveries.
Each entry in the ITIS database shows how much it has been checked. It is always a good idea to compare ITIS information with other reliable sources. You can also look at the original scientific literature (science papers) if possible.
Who Works with ITIS?
Many different government agencies and organizations are part of ITIS. They all help to collect and share information about species.
Here are some of the main partners:
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO)
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- National Park Service
- NatureServe
- Smithsonian Institution
- United States Department of Agriculture
- United States Environmental Protection Agency
- United States Geological Survey
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service
See also
In Spanish: Sistema Integrado de Información Taxonómica para niños
- Encyclopedia of Life
- PlantList
- Wikispecies
- World Register of Marine Species
