The world’s biodiversity is vanishing at an alarming rate. Yet, quietly alongside this crisis, another one is unfolding: the slow disappearance of the scientists who discover and classify life on Earth. Art Borkent, a 72-year-old taxonomist specializing in biting midges, embodies this looming problem. He’s identified over 300 new species of these tiny flies, and he fears he’ll be among the last to do so.
A Crisis in Discovery
Borkent isn’t alone. Taxonomists—the scientists who name, describe, and categorize species—are aging out of the field with no clear replacements. This isn’t just an academic problem. Without taxonomic expertise, we lose the ability to accurately track biodiversity loss, understand ecological relationships, and even protect crucial species that underpin human survival.
The numbers are stark: a 2025 survey showed half of countries have fewer than 10 plant taxonomists. Many work part-time or lack basic resources like computers. The field is also overwhelmingly male-dominated, with some countries reporting entirely male respondent pools.
Why Taxonomy Matters
Taxonomy isn’t merely about “stamp collecting,” as some dismiss it. It’s fundamental to biology, conservation, and even public health. Identifying species is the first step in understanding how ecosystems function, how diseases spread, and how to protect endangered organisms.
Consider biting midges, Borkent’s passion. These flies aren’t just pests; they pollinate crops, serve as food sources for other animals, and their behavior provides insights into disease transmission. We wouldn’t have chocolate without them. Yet, tens of thousands of midge species remain unknown.
The Rise of DNA Barcoding and Its Limits
The advent of DNA barcoding in 2003 promised to revolutionize taxonomy by allowing rapid species identification via genetic analysis. It was, and still is, a useful technique. But critics like Borkent argue it’s a poor substitute for traditional taxonomic study.
DNA barcodes can identify a species, but they don’t reveal how it lives —its behavior, habitat, interactions with other species. You can barcode an elephant, but that doesn’t tell you it has a trunk, eats plants, or rips them up. The deeper understanding needed to conserve these species requires fieldwork and detailed observation, tasks DNA barcodes can’t perform.
A Dying Profession
The decline of taxonomy is driven by several factors: lack of funding, shrinking university positions, and a perception of the field as outdated. Traditional taxonomy is slow, meticulous work, and it rarely produces headline-grabbing results. Grants favor more “dynamic” research areas, leaving taxonomists stranded.
The few remaining experts gather every four years, not to celebrate discoveries, but to lament the state of their profession. The consensus is bleak: species are disappearing before they’re even known, and the science that could save them is fading with it.
The field is in crisis, and the consequences will be felt far beyond academia. Without taxonomic expertise, we risk losing the foundational knowledge necessary to understand—and protect—the planet’s dwindling biodiversity.
