Taxonomy is the discipline responsible for classifying organisms, allowing fields of biology to interchange information. Nevertheless, this activity has lost prestige compared to other disciplines. This has encouraged initiatives to modernise the taxonomy, making it more precise and accessible to the general public. Some proposals imply changes in deep-rooted rules of taxonomy, such as the principle of priority, the linking of names to types and the use of taxonomic ranks. If adopted, these modifications will drastically change the development of studies dealing with biodiversity. Therefore, researchers that work in regions with high diversity like Brazil need to be aware and to be able to take a conscious position concern these proposals.
biodiversity; nomenclature