動物学の原点と終着点としての分類学 : 博物館におけるコケムシ研究から(2012年度日本動物分類学会シンポジウム)

抄録

Taxonomy has always been regarded as basic to zoology, as a tool for species identification. On the other hand, taxonomy is also a goal of zoology; it reflects any sort of result from studies in various other fields such as development, ecology, and genetics. Although taxonomists have recently begun to use molecular data in identifying species (e.g., DNA barcoding), taxonomy is essentially based on organismal morphology, which is in turn strongly related to organismal function and ecology. Taxonomy thus provides motivation for new research in areas correlated with morphology, such as behavior or breeding systems. Morphology itself is preserved in biological specimens in museums; these specimens are valuable for various levels of morphological research, such as the study of muscle function or observations of micromorphology for biomimetics. Since museum specimens were collected over time and space, they are also potentially valuable for research in science history and for biogeographic comparisons. For example, we can investigate changes in bryozoan assemblages in Sagami Bay from specimens collected there over the past 130 years, and we can compare erect bryozoan assemblages along the Japanese Pacific coast based on collections. Although taxonomy is indispensable for zoology and for other research, it could easily become isolated and lose its potential role in zoology, if taxonomists ignore outreach for their research and the significance of taxonomy. Since taxonomy is both a basis and a goal of zoology, and taxonomists are specialists who knows the taxa they are studying from A to Z, taxonomists should strive to do outreach for their research by various types of publicity, such as presentations at meetings in other research fields and exhibitions at aquariums. The effect will be to motivate other researchers by introducing them to the diversity of morphology and function in organisms, and to initiate joint research. Positive outreach and good research by joint research projects will contribute to the promotion and development of taxonomy as a crucial field of zoology.