Checklist issues and flags

Name unparsable

The value in the field flagged couldn’t be parsed by the GBIF system. You can check if a scientific name can be parsed with our name parser tool.

any name field

example

Name partially parsed

The value in the field flagged could only be partially parsed by the GBIF system. You can check if a scientific name can be parsed with our name parser tool.

any name field

example

ParentNameUsageID invalid

The value for the ParentNameUsageID doesn’t correspond to a valid entry in the list. Check that the parentNameUsageID points to an existing taxon entry within the checklist (parentNameUsageID should contain the value of the taxonID of the parent taxon in the same checklist

dwc:parentNameUsageID

example

AcceptedNameUsageID invalid

The value for the acceptedNameUsageID could not be resolved. Check that the acceptedNameUsageID points to an existing taxon entry within the checklist (for synonyms or misapplied named, acceptedNameUsageID should contain the value of the taxonID of the accepted/valid taxon name in the checklist

dwc:acceptedNameUsageID

example

OriginalNameUsageID invalid

The value for originalNameUsageID could not be resolved. Check that the originalNameUsageID points to an existing taxon entry within the checklist (originalNameUsageID should contain the value of the taxonID of the scientificName in the checklist that represents the name originally established under the rules of the associated nomenclatural code, e.g. the basionym

dwc:originalNameUsageID

example

Rank unknown

The value for taxonRank could not be interpreted. Check if you can map the value to one of the accepted taxon rank values

dwc:taxonRank

example

Nomenclatural status unknown

The value for nomenclaturalStatus could not be interpreted. Check if you can map the value to one of the accepted nomenclatural status values

dwc:nomenclaturalStatus

example

Taxonomic status unknown

The value for taxonomicStatus could not be interpreted. Check if you can map the value to one of the accepted taxonomic status values

dwc:TaxonomicStatus

example

ScientificName assembled

The scientific name was assembled from the individual name components (e.g. genus name, species epithet, authors), and not supplied as a whole. This is simply for information, publishers can ignore it

dwc:scientificName

example

Chained synonym

The record is a synonym which has another synonym as its accepted name. The GBIF system resolves such chains and links every synonym to the final accepted name. Check that synonyms always point to accepted names

dwc:acceptedNameUsageID

example

Basionym author mismatch

The authorship of the original name does not match the authorship in brackets of the taxon name. This flags the relationship between the two names as suspicious, based on the formal rules defined by nomenclatural codes.

dwc:scientificName, dwc:scientificNameAuthorship, dwc:originalNameUsage

example

Classification parent cycle

The child-parent relationships between taxon names result in a cycle that needs to be resolved/cut. The classification should be a tree.

dwc:parentNameUsageID

example

Classification not applied

The denormalized classification of the checklist, i.e. values for terms like dwc:family or dwc:phylum, could not be applied to the name safely. This usually happens if there is also a normalized parentNameUsageID-based classification given with unspecified ranks

dwc:parentNameUsageID

example

Vernacular name invalid

At least one part of a vernacular name attached to this taxon name, linked from the Vernacular Names extension, could not be interpreted. This usually happens when the name was blank, but it is also flagged if other controlled values such as language, lifestage, plural or sex in a vernacular name record cannot be interpreted.

dwc:vernacularName and Vernacular Name extension

example

Description invalid

At least one description record for this taxon name, linked from the Taxon Description extension, could not be interpreted because the mandatory description was missing or the language field was invalid

Taxon Description extension

example

Distribution invalid

At least one species distribution record for this taxon name, linked from the Species Distribution extension, could not be interpreted

Species Distribution extension

example

Species profile invalid

At least one species profile record for this taxon name, linked from the Species Profile extension, could not be interpreted

Species Profile extension

example

Multimedia invalid

At least one multimedia extension record attached to this taxon name could not be interpreted. This covers multimedia coming in through various extensions, including Audubon core, Simple images or multimedia or EOL media

See https://data-blog.gbif.org/post/gbif-multimedia/

example

Bibliographic references invalid

At least one bibliographic reference for this taxon name, linked from the Literature References extension, could not be interpreted

Literature Reference extension

example

Alternative identifiers invalid

At least one alternative identifier for this taxon name, linked from the Alternative Identifiers extension, could not be interpreted

Identifier extension

example

Could not be matched to GBIF backbone

The interpretation of the taxonomic name could not find an existing equivalent, or near-enough match, in the GBIF taxonomic backbone. If the taxon name is newly described or a recent recombination, this is expected, until the new name can be integrated into the backbone taxonomy. You can check how a scientific name is matched against the backbone taxonomy using our species name matching tool.

dwc:scientificName

example

Fuzzy GBIF backbone match

Name match to the GBIF backbone taxonomy could only be done using a fuzzy, non exact match

dwc:scientificName

example

Backbone match aggregate

Name usage could only be matched to a GBIF backbone species, but was in fact a broader species aggregate/complex.

dwc:scientificName

example

Synonym lacking an accepted name

The taxon name is explicitly marked as a synonym, but lacking a reference to the corresponding accepted name. If the accepted name is contained in the same data source, consider adding a reference to it

dwc:TaxonomicStatus, dwc:acceptedNameUsageID

example

Accepted name not unique

The synonym record provides the accepted name as verbatim text, rather than as a cross-reference. The verbatim name is ambiguous and could refer to several different records in GBIF’s backbone taxonomy

dwc:acceptedNameUsage

example

Parent name not unique

The record provides the name of the taxonomic parent as verbatim text, rather than as a cross-reference. The verbatim name is ambiguous and could refer to several different records in GBIF’s backbone taxonomy

dwc:parentNameUsage

example

Original name not unique

The record provides the original name of the taxon (e.g. basionym) as verbatim text, rather than as a cross-reference. The verbatim name is ambiguous and could refer to several different records in GBIF’s backbone taxonomy

dwc:originalNameUsage

example

Relationship missing

There were problems representing all name relationships, i.e. the link to the parent, accepted and/or original name. The interpreted record in GBIF is lacking some of the original source relation

dwc:originalNameUsage, dwc:parentNameUsage, dwc:acceptedNameUsage, dwc:acceptedNameUsageID, dwc:TaxonomicStatus, dwc:parentNameUsageID

example

Basionym relation derived

The record in GBIF has a relationship to an original name (basionym) that was derived from name & authorship comparison, but did not exist explicitly in the source data. This will only be flagged in programmatically generated GBIF backbone records of name usages.

example

Conflicting basionym combination

There was more than one accepted name in a homotypical basionym group of names. GBIF backbone specific issue.

dwc:scientificName

example

No species included

The group (currently only genera are tested) is lacking any accepted species.

example

Name parent mismatch

The (accepted) bi/trinomial name does not match the parent name and should be recombined into the parent genus/species. For example the species Picea alba with a parent genus Abies is a mismatch, and should be replaced by Abies alba.

example

Orthographic variant

An entry in the backbone is suspected to be only a spelling variation of an otherwise existing name.

example

Homonym

A not-synonymized homonym exists for this name in some other backbone source which has been ignored at build time.

example

Published earlier than parent name

A bi- or trinomial name was seemingly published earlier than the parent genus/species. This might indicate a homonym issue, or that the name should rather be a recombination.

example