Encyclopedia of Life: Documenting Every Known Species on Earth
The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) is a comprehensive, free online resource dedicated to documenting all 1.9 million living species known to science. Rather than creating content from scratch, EOL acts as an aggregative environment, pulling data from trusted, expert-curated databases to create detailed pages for every known organism. By combining text, images, sound, video, and graphics, EOL provides a holistic view of Earth's biodiversity for a global audience.
Launched on February 26, 2008, the project began with 30,000 entries and has since grown into a massive repository of biological knowledge. It is supported by a network of prestigious institutions and individual donors, ensuring that critical biological data remains accessible to the general public, students, educators, and professional scientists.
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Key Facts
- Goal: To document all 1.9 million known living species.
- Launch Date: February 26, 2008.
- Accessibility: Free, non-commercial, and available in 19 languages.
- Core Technology: Uses taxonomic intelligence to resolve naming conflicts across different databases.
- Key Feature: TraitBank, a digital repository for organism traits and measurements.
Evolution and Growth of the Platform
Since its inception, EOL has undergone significant transformations to improve user experience and data depth. On September 5, 2011, the site relaunched as EOLv2. This version introduced a redesigned interface specifically tailored to be more engaging and accessible for citizen scientists, professional biologists, and educators.
A major milestone occurred on January 16, 2014, with the launch of TraitBank. This open digital repository allows users to search for specific organism traits, measurements, and interactions across all taxa (groups of organisms), providing a more granular level of scientific data than a standard encyclopedia entry.
Funding and Institutional Support
The project was initiated with a US$50 million funding commitment. This was led by the MacArthur Foundation (US$20 million) and the Sloan Foundation (US$5 million). An additional US$25 million was provided by five cornerstone institutions: the Field Museum, Harvard University, the Marine Biological Laboratory, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Smithsonian Institution.
How EOL Works: Data Aggregation and Intelligence
EOL does not function like a traditional wiki where any user can edit text. Instead, it aggregates information from established sources such as the Catalogue of Life, Fishbase, AmphibiaWeb, and the Assembling Tree of Life project. It also integrates millions of pages of digitized literature from the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL).
To manage the complexity of biological naming, EOL employs taxonomic intelligence. This refers to a set of algorithms that emulate the work of taxonomists (scientists who classify organisms). These tools resolve naming discrepancies, allowing data from different databases—which may use different names for the same species—to be merged accurately. This flexible system avoids the rigid classification structures found in many older biological databases.
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The Future of Species Documentation
While the initial focus has been on living species, EOL intends to expand its scope to include extinct species. The challenge of documenting all 1.9 million species is ongoing, especially as approximately 20,000 new species are discovered every year. The rate of additions is expected to accelerate as molecular techniques improve the discovery and classification of (eu)bacteria, archaebacteria, and viruses.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Primary Purpose | Document all 1.9 million known living species |
| Content Types | Text, images, sound, video, graphics, and traits |
| Key Partners | Smithsonian, Harvard, Field Museum, MacArthur Foundation, Sloan Foundation |
| Language Support | 19 languages (including English, Chinese, Spanish, French, and Arabic) |
| Data Source | Aggregated from trusted expert databases and BHL |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I edit the information on EOL directly?
No, users cannot edit entries directly. However, registered users can join specialist expert communities to discuss corrections, suggest updates, and contribute images or sound files.
What is TraitBank?
TraitBank is a searchable, open digital repository launched in 2014 that stores specific organism traits, measurements, and interactions for all taxa.
How does EOL handle different names for the same species?
EOL uses "taxonomic intelligence" and algorithms developed by the Global Names project to resolve name differences across various databases, ensuring data is combined correctly regardless of the naming convention used.
Who can use the Encyclopedia of Life?
EOL is designed as a resource for everyone, including the general public, enthusiastic amateurs, students, educators, and professional scientists worldwide.
Is the Encyclopedia of Life a commercial site?
No, EOL is a free, non-commercial online encyclopedia.