Free DELTA: An open source system for processing taxonomic descriptions

Mauro José Cavalcanti; Edinaldo Nelson dos Santos-Silva; Luís Geraldes Primeiro

Mauro José Cavalcanti Ecoinfomatics Studio http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2389-1902
Edinaldo Nelson dos Santos-Silva
Luís Geraldes Primeiro

Keywords: biological identification, taxonomic keys, biodiversity informatics, DELTA

Abstract

The DELTA (DEscription Language for TAxonomy) system consists in a flexible format for coding taxonomic descriptions and a set of programs to handling and organizing taxonomic information, as construction of dichotomous keys, production of natural language descriptions, and interactive identification. However, the original DELTA system was based on a proprietary software model, that puts limits to the use and expansion of the system. The Free DELTA Project is a free, open-source, software alternative for a generic system to the processing of taxonomic descriptions, which offers an accessible tool to support systematic biodiversity inventories.