Currently schemas use an essentially arbitrary set of names for columns. All column names could be defined instead as properties of a Taxon in Darwin Core (dwc: http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/):
id -> taxonID
name_type -> taxonomicStatus
name -> scientificName
species -> specificEpithet
accepted_id -> acceptedNameUsageID
rank -> taxonRank
common -> vernacularName
More significantly, the database could be reduced to a single flat file rather than separate hierarchy, taxonid, and synonyms tables potentially without requiring too many convoluted transformations to become useful to the user. For instance, the most common ranks can be given explicitly. alternately, can use parentID, and pipe-delimited higherClassification.
cboettig
commented
5 years ago
Currently schemas use an essentially arbitrary set of names for columns. All column names could be defined instead as properties of a
Taxonin Darwin Core (dwc: http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/):id->taxonIDname_type->taxonomicStatusname->scientificNamespecies->specificEpithetaccepted_id->acceptedNameUsageIDrank->taxonRankcommon->vernacularNameMore significantly, the database could be reduced to a single flat file rather than separate
hierarchy,taxonid, andsynonymstables potentially without requiring too many convoluted transformations to become useful to the user. For instance, the most common ranks can be given explicitly. alternately, can useparentID, and pipe-delimitedhigherClassification.