It has taken biologists some 230 years to identify and…
“It has taken biologists some 230 years to identify and describe three quarters of a million insects; if there are indeed at least thirty million, as Erwin (Terry Erwin, the Smithsonian Institute) estimates, then, working as they have in the past, insect taxonomists have ten thousand years of employment ahead of them. Ghilean Prance, director of the Botanical Gardens in Kew, estimates that a complete list of plants in the Americas would occupy taxonomists for four centuries, again working at historical rates.”
About This Quote
Source Lecture: Entomology Conference, 2015
Insect and is a massive, ongoing task that will span centuries.
In simple terms: Cataloguing insects will take thousands of years.
Key Takeaway
Support long‑term scientific projects.
Themes
science
taxonomy
patience
Mood
concerned
determined
Type
academic
informative
When to use this quote
- conservation planning
- academic funding
- museum curation
- education outreach
Key Concepts
biodiversity
research methodology
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we prioritize taxonomic research?
- What technologies could accelerate species identification?
A Different Perspective
Limited resources may hinder progress.