The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI): A global registry of scientific names of fossil organisms started

Abstract

The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI) is a new global on–line data base [http://fossilplants.info/about] of fossil names of plants, algae, fungi, allied prokaryotic forms (formerly treated as algae and Сyanophyceae), algae–related protists and fossil microproblematica (so–called ‘ambiregnal’ organisms). IFPNI as a new platform provides an online, open–access, and community–generated registry of fossil plant nomenclature as a service to the global scientific community. One of the goals of the IFPNI was also to compile and maintain a comprehensive literature based record of these fossil scientific names and bank of author names in palaeobotany. IFPNI fulfils existed gap in modern systematic botany lacking comprehensive indices of fossil plant names.