Taxa page
Anatomy of the taxa page
The taxa page is essentially the hub of a species file website application. On the taxa page (Taxa hierarchy as it is formally called), a user may navigate up and down the taxonomic hierarchy via hyperlinks, view detailed information associated with the “current taxon,” and modify how the information is displayed. This section will briefly outline the main navigation features as well as the various data items that can be associated with the current taxon. The discussion will follow in the order of appearance of the various items on the taxa page. How some of the information is displayed and what options are available depend on the user’s log-in privileges. Finally, the options for changing what information is displayed will be discussed.
Insert new image (Taxa page from Orthoptera)
Insert image (Taxa hierarchy) Figure 1: Orthoptera as the current taxon
Understanding the importance of the current taxon is key to navigating through the taxonomic hierarchy and recognizing the different types of taxonomic data associated with a particular taxon. The current taxon (Orthoptera in the above image) is the one that is displayed when Taxa is clicked on the navigation bar. Upon entry to a new species file, clicking Taxa for the first time will display the taxon data for the apex taxon (the taxon at the top of the hierarchy for that species file). After navigating up or down the hierarchy, the last taxon displayed on the taxa page remains the current taxon. If one of the other menu items on the navigation bar is selected, a subsequent selection of Taxa will return to the previous current taxon display.
Data items associated with the current taxon
Navigate to current taxon’s parents
In Figure 1, Orthoptera is not only the current taxon but it is the apex taxon of the Orthoptera Species File as well. Superorder Orthopterida is the parent taxon, cohort Polyneoptera is the grandparent taxon, and infraclass Neoptera is the great grandparent taxon. Clicking one of these hyperlinks will select that taxon as the new current taxon.
Please note when navigating to the upper levels of a species file, selecting one of the above hyperlinks may transport the user to a different species file. In the image above, for example, selecting cohort Polyneoptera takes one to the Polyneoptera Species File and selecting infraclass Neoptera takes one to the Arthropoda Species File. This feature of automatic links is optional, but it demonstrates the possibility of seamless navigation throughout all species files.
