Cataloging every living species in the world, scientists have topped the 1 million milestones with the count. After six years of enlisting the species into the program, the researchers have attained a total of 1,009,000 species.
Since the listing process is still on, hoping to be ended by 2011, the scientists hope to reach an expected total of about 1.75 million species by then. The finished catalog will be including all known living organisms — from plants and animals to fungi and microorganisms like bacteria, protozoa and viruses, Thomas M. Orrell, a biologist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History informs.
But, the listing does not include fossil species from the past. Orrell said,
Many are surprised that, despite over two centuries of work by biologists and the current worldwide interest in biodiversity, there is presently no comprehensive catalog of all known species of organisms on Earth.
Data that is maintained by a variety of scientific organizations — each specializing in a certain area – can be made access from the Integrated Taxonomic Information System-Species 2000 Catalog of Life.
The peer-reviewed lists are checked technically, followed by their integrating into special software for the catalog. The project involves some 3,000 biologists and is led by Frank Bisby of the University of Reading in England and Orrell.
In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Bisby said,
We tidy it up and do a peer review to see which pieces are the best ones to use, like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle. If you want to do international comparisons, you need a master list. It’s a little like if you were running a supermarket, you would have to do an inventory.