If I left a message on your talk page, please reply there; I will keep it on my watchlist for a while. If you contact me here, I will respond here unless you indicate otherwise. Thank you. SchreiberBike
That's my bad! As I said on the move discussion, I've been canvassed before, so I assumed it was okay. Thank you for the advice on future move discussions!
The first edition of our new monthly contest had perhaps a little less participation than I hoped for, but it still resulted in a huge amount of content work, mainly focussed on de-stubbing articles on little-known species, although we did also see two GAs for Holozoa and Hypericum perforatum. Overall, over 60 articles were improved, with most going from stubs or redlinks to fully fleshed out articles. The winner this month was Simongraham, who improved 21 articles about spiders, mainly to B and C class, and racked up 70 points, over twice the next highest. Hopefully, we'll continue to see such great work next month, with even more participants and even more articles improved.
Also anyone who wants to help coordinate the contest can just drop by at the talk page, I really need help.
September DYKs
Republicopteron douseae fossil
Male Phallichthys fish
Mimodactylus reconstruction
Adult ashy flycatcher
... that with all known Palaeorehniidae fossils (example pictured) being incomplete, the relationships of the family are uncertain? (September 2)
... that butterfly collector Ian Heslop was once required to supervise an execution? (September 3)
... that Phallichthys (literally 'penis fish') species are so called because the males (example pictured) have "comparatively huge" sex appendages? (September 8)
... that merry widows like soft bottoms? (September 10)
... that Mimodactylus(reconstruction pictured) is the first complete pterosaur from the Afro-Arabian continent? * ... that small Poecilia gillii males have longer sex organs than larger males, to facilitate mating with females that flee from them? (September 12)
Hi dear SchreiberBike. The second paragraph of the lead section of the article Wildlife of Zimbabwe says: "In the 1990s, it became one of the leading countries in Africa in wildlife conservation and management with a reported income generation US$300 million per year from the protected areas of the state, rural community run wildlife management areas and private game ranches and reserves." I think that an "of" is required before "US$300 million" and also a full stop must come before "rural community". As I am not a native speaker of English, I decided not to make any changes to the article, but please do so if what I say is right or explain why what I say is not right. Thanks in advance. Taddah (talk) 11:37, 10 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
For some reason this genus is placed in Riodinidae in the (automated?) taxobox. This should be Lycaenidae.Would you be so good as to fix this.Best regards Notafly (talk) 20:13, 23 October 2023 (UTC) PS Polyommatinae is also placed in Riodinidae
It looks as though the "parents" part of the taxobox is incorrect[reply]
@Notafly and Rodrigo Conte: Sorry it's taken so long to get to this. I think this may have fixed it. Take a look and see if it looks right to you. I've not worked with automated taxoboxes much recently so I'm not sure if I did it right. I've pinged Rodrigo Conte who made the change to see if his understanding matches with mine. Take care, SchreiberBike | ⌨ 23:11, 25 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Very many thanks.Everything I checked seems ok.Best regardsNotafly (talk) 19:21, 27 October 2023 (UTC) Did you note we have lost Alan Cassidy as an editor.He has made endless contributions and added marvellous photos.A well known expert on Lycaenidae he has been blocked due to (to my mind) his political and social views.Alan was a military officer not a diplomat.I will try and contact him and maybe make amends.[reply]
The second edition of our monthly contest was even better than the last month, with 80 articles improved spanning the entire tree of life. The winner this month was Quetzal1964, who contributed to 47 articles, mainly relating to marine fish, and racked up 81 points in the process. In second place was simongraham, who got 60 points from 14 articles on various species of jumping spiders. simongraham is still at the top of our overall standings, with 130 points, and Quetzal1964's close behind on 108. The November edition of the contest is now open: feel free to drop by and participate if you work on any TOL-related articles this month.
October DYKs
Illustration of swordtail mollies
Lycorma meliae
Illustrations of the front foot (A) and hind foot (B) of Diplobune quercyi
... that the swordtail molly(examples pictured) and the Petén molly have been named and renamed so often, one even ending up with the other's name at one point, that the swordtail molly's current scientific name means 'confusion'? (October 8)
... that the early big cat Pachypanthera may have weighed as much as 142 kilograms (313 lb) and had teeth similar to a hyena's? (October 9)
... that ancient Greek philosopher Xenophon thought the alopekis was part dog, part fox? (October 11)
... that the wings of Lycorma meliae(example pictured) undergo multiple color changes throughout their lives? (October 16)
... that the three-toed species of Diplobune(fossils pictured) were mammals of the order of "even-toed ungulates"? (October 17)
... that although fossils of the extinct mammal Asiavorator were first found in 1922, the genus was not named until 73 years later, in 1995? (October 18)
... that in aquariums, the humpbacked limia is known to cannibalise the young? (October 21)
Hello! Voting in the 2023 Arbitration Committee elections is now open until 23:59 (UTC) on Monday, 11 December 2023. All eligible users are allowed to vote. Users with alternate accounts may only vote once.
The Arbitration Committee is the panel of editors responsible for conducting the Wikipedia arbitration process. It has the authority to impose binding solutions to disputes between editors, primarily for serious conduct disputes the community has been unable to resolve. This includes the authority to impose site bans, topic bans, editing restrictions, and other measures needed to maintain our editing environment. The arbitration policy describes the Committee's roles and responsibilities in greater detail.
The third edition of our monthly contest saw Quetzal1964 win for the second month in a row, scoring 68 points from 39 articles about a variety of marine fishes. In second place for the month is Olmagon, who scored 45 points from 10 articles on extinct crustaceans and geckoes. In the overall standings, Quetzal1964 leapfrogged over simongraham into first place, with 176 points from 109 articles; simongraham is now in second place with 136 points from 37 articles. The December edition of the contest is now open: feel free to drop by and participate if you work on any TOL-related articles this month.
New newsletter!
Now, this newsletter is technically not new, but I have only recently become aware of its existence and am only a month late, so it still counts. Wikiproject Fungi's Lichen task force has a new newsletter that is very nicely formatted and also features much better writing than this newsletter. Anyone interested in receiving the newsletter can add their name here.
November DYKs
A bacterium that thrives in the deep ocean
Georges Cuvier's reconstruction of Anoplotherium commune
Paroedura maingoka
Field of Wyethia amplexicaulis in bloom
An adult dwarf pufferfish
Adult Balkan terrapin
Planocarina marginata, a hyalospheniid amoeba
... that a variety of the Connecticut field pumpkin is known as "the original commercial jack-o'-lantern pumpkin"? (November 1)
... that insects not only destroyed the personal plant collection of John Hunter Thomas, but also bear his name? (November 3)
... that life exists in every part of the biosphere, from the deepest parts of the ocean (bacterium pictured) to altitudes of up to 64 km (40 miles) in the atmosphere? (November 6)
... that Sivapardus was larger than a leopard, smaller than a lion, and had a face like a cheetah? (November 7)
... that in 1822, the Paleogene mammal Anoplotherium commune(reconstruction pictured) was the first fossil species to be subjected to a brain cast study? (November 12)
... that the gecko Paroedura maingoka(pictured) imitates venomous scorpions to discourage predators? (November 13)
... that the scenic fields of northern wyethia(pictured) found in the western United States are sometimes a sign that an area has been overgrazed? (November 15)
... that at a maximum standard length of roughly 2 cm (0.8 in), dwarf pufferfish are some of the smallest pufferfish in the world? (November 18)
... that the authors of The Neanderthals Rediscovered learned that their book proposal had been accepted on the same day they took their twin sons home from hospital? (November 20)
... that hatchling Balkan terrapins are only 3 to 4 centimetres (1.2 to 1.6 in) in length, while adults (example pictured) can grow as long as 25 cm (9.8 in)? (November 21)
And so ends the fourth edition of the monthly rolling contest, as well as the 2023 Tree of Life Contest as a whole. This month saw simongraham win with a very impressive 120 points from 27 articles. Quetzal1964 was second with 74 points from 37 articles. The annual contest was a close race between simongraham and Quetzal1964; simongraham won first place with 256 points from 64 articles, and Quetzal1964 was second with 250 points from 146 articles. Snoteleks was third with 79 points from 33 articles. Congratulations to everyone who won this year and my gratitude to everyone else who helped raise the quality of articles in our little corner of Wikipedia this year. Additionally, a very Happy New Year to everyone in the project and here's looking forward to continuing our good work in 2024!
... that the green colour of bofedales(examples pictured) stands out in the yellow surrounding landscape? (December 6)
... that Desulfovibrio vulgaris can remove toxic heavy metals from the environment? (December 8)
... that Varroa destructor(example pictured), the Varroa mite, is an external parasitic mite that attacks and feeds on honey bees and is one of the most harmful honey-bee pests in the world? (December 11)
... that the Antarctic lichen Buellia frigida has been to outer space? (December 22)
... that the closest modern fern relatives to Dennstaedtia christophelii(fossil pictured) of the Pacific Northwest are tropical species from South America? (December 24)
... that in Icelandic folklore, the Yule cat eats people who do not receive new clothing for Christmas? (December 25)
Hello, I'm Qwerfjkl (bot). I have automatically detected that this edit performed by you, on the page Gertrude Ederle, may have introduced referencing errors. They are as follows:
A "bare URL and missing title" error. References show this error when they do not have a title. Please edit the article to add the appropriate title parameter to the reference. (Fix | Ask for help)
Our first double issue in almost four years, although we will try to return to a monthly schedule henceforth (incidentally, the last double issue saw Markham's storm petrel at GAN, and this one sees it finally pass FAC).
The March 2024 GAN Backlog Drive starts today; everyone is welcome to participate and help reduce the backlog of GANs.
The January edition of our monthly rolling contest was won by Quetzal1964 with 100 points from 40 articles, mainly related to various species of marine fish. simongraham was second with 80 points from 14 articles on jumping spiders.
The February edition saw Quetzal1964 win for the second time in a row, with 114 points from 43 articles. In second place was Snoteleks, with 21 points from 7 seven articles on various unicellular eukaryotes, including the GA Telonemia.
January DYKs
... that Dacrytherium, literally meaning 'tear beast', was named after its "tear-pit"? (3 January)
... that the wood-pasture hypothesis posits that semi-open wood pastures and not primeval forests are the natural vegetation of temperate Europe? (5 January)
... that until April 2023, when the genusTriassosculda was discovered, the mantis shrimp fossil record contained a gap of more than a hundred million years? (5 January)
... that although Olga Hartman believed that her basic research on marine worms had no practical value, it was applied to experimental studies of oysters? (6 January)
... that Oxford ivy grows towards the light to bloom and then towards the darkness when going to seed? (17 January)
... that S. F. Light(pictured) disliked using his full name? (20 January)
... that the fossil turtle Acherontemys was named for a "river of the fabled lower world"? (26 January)
... that having lived in Central Park for more than a year after becoming homeless, Flaco(pictured) has been accused of being a peeping tom? (19 February)
@Clarityfiend: No matter. I know some people do not think of people as animals, but I do think most people do think of people as primates. I like clarity too, and it seemed to be a loss of such, but I can let it go. Keep up the good work. SchreiberBike | ⌨ 12:02, 3 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
This redirect appeared on a list I run on the Wikipedia database for redirects that are errors. I'd like you to tag it for CSD G7 speedy deletion because a) no one will know that this discussion is called "MOS:TITLETYPOCON" except for you so it really only serves a purpose for you, not for our editors, even those interested in MOS discussions. Secondly, b) as soon as the talk page gets archived, it will no longer be accurate because the discussion will be placed in the archives, not on the main talk page where this links to. I could tag it for an MFD discussion but I thought I'd first explain why these types of individual redirects are not useful and give you a chance to rethink its creation. Thank you. LizRead!Talk!03:38, 3 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Hi @Liz, My rough model for this shortcut was Wikipedia:BIRDCON which has been in place without objection since 2014. As I explained in the edit summary when I created it, "I will monitor the target page and change the link when that discussion is archived." I had planned to add the {{shortcut}} template to the MoS talk page, but I started with the redirect to be sure it would work. I think this redirect is useful, so I'd like to discuss further. Thank you, SchreiberBike | ⌨ 11:57, 3 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
That is appreciated. I'm still not sure about this page. I did realize that a discussion would go to RFD not MFD. Let's see if any other editors have an objection to it. LizRead!Talk!16:52, 3 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Reminder to vote now to select members of the first U4C
You are receiving this message because you previously participated in the UCoC process.
This is a reminder that the voting period for the Universal Code of Conduct Coordinating Committee (U4C) ends on May 9, 2024. Read the information on the voting page on Meta-wiki to learn more about voting and voter eligibility.
The Universal Code of Conduct Coordinating Committee (U4C) is a global group dedicated to providing an equitable and consistent implementation of the UCoC. Community members were invited to submit their applications for the U4C. For more information and the responsibilities of the U4C, please review the U4C Charter.
Please share this message with members of your community so they can participate as well.
The newsletter will not be returning to a monthly format (mainly because the author is busy failing every exam imaginable) and is on a bimonthly schedule for the foreseeable future.
The second round of the WikiCup was very competitive, requiring the highest points total to advance since 2014. Two TOL editors, AryKun and Fritzmann2002, advanced to the third round.
The March edition of our monthly rolling contest was won by simongraham, who amassed 118 points from 21 articles on various species of jumping spider; in second place was Quetzal1964 with 109 points from 53 articles on marine ray-finned fish.
Quetzal1964 and simongraham were also the top two in the April edition, although Quetzal was ahead this time, with 68 points to simongraham's 48. In the annual leaderboard, Quetzal and simongraham are in first and second place respectively, with 291 and 246 points; in third place is Snotoleks, with 76 points.
... that the cherry blossom was used symbolically in Japanese World War II propaganda, with falling petals representing "young soldiers' sacrifice for the emperor"? (8 March)
... that the Kīlauea lava cricket disappears from a lava field as soon as any plants start to grow there? (13 March)
... that Julian Assange's lawyer argued that the rules set by the Ecuadorian embassy requiring Assange to take care of his pet cat Michi were "denigrating"? (13 March)
... that mule deer sometimes prefer the flavor of one Rocky Mountain juniper tree, like "ice cream", over another? (21 March)
... that the skeleton panda sea squirt was known on the Internet for its skeleton-like appearance years before its formal description? (26 March)
... that only one fruit but several thousand seeds were known when Allenbya collinsonae was named? (26 March)
... that while named for alliums, the fossil Paleoallium(pictured) was not necessarily directly related to any allium species? (27 March)
... that the extinct genus Mixtotherium, meaning 'mixed beast', has traits of both extinct primates and hyraxes? (28 March)
... that the fossil fern Dickwhitea was described from a single block of chert? (28 March)
... that only six years after its 2016 discovery, the Meratus blue flycatcher(pictured) was found being sold in Indonesian songbird markets? (30 March)
... that the spirit liverwort is called such because of its proximity to the Māori afterlife? (31 March)
... that cultures of the fungus Lentinus brumalis have been flown on three different satellites? (31 March)
... that the English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper claimed that eating alkanet leaves would make a person's spit deadly to serpents? (31 March)
Eufriesea purpurata
Korowai gecko
Paleoallium billgenseli fossil
Male Meratus blue flycatcher
April DYKs
... that despite its name meaning 'unscented', Hypericum × inodorum can smell strongly of goat? (1 April)
... that color-changing cats(artist's impression pictured) could help us communicate with the future? (2 April)
... that the white-tailed jay(example pictured) found in Ecuador and Peru was once thought to have been brought to Mexico by pre-Columbian trade? (5 April)
I realised that on wiki the common names have caps only for titles. I had never come accross since a lot of books or websites don't apply this rule but my bad. I don't really get why it would apply to name in French though. The caps are mandatory in French when you are refering to a specific species. I'm just trying to understand the logic not really force my edit. Arkin40700 (talk) 12:40, 19 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@Arkin40700: Thanks for your note. In English, species common names are often capitalized in guide books and lists for emphasis, but not in running text in general publications. I've read books about butterflies where the butterfly common names are capitalized, but the bird names are not, and vise versa. Wikipedia, being an encyclopedia about everything, decided to stick with lower case. That was a difficult decision as the people with interest in birds, especially, were used to their birding guides which consistently capitalized common names.I'm not a French speaker, but my observation of French is that species common names are sometimes capitalized and sometimes not. I just looked at the French Wikipedia articles for the first three birds on List of birds of Metropolitan France: Oie des neiges, Oie cendrée, and Oie rieuse and found that the names were capitalized mid-sentence 4 times out of 5, 2 times of 14, and 1 time out of 3 respectively. So, in that small sample it looks like in French Wikipedia they are not mandatory or even the majority. Even if capitalization was French Wikipedia's style, we'd follow English Wikipedia's style. Keep up the good work. SchreiberBike | ⌨ 13:18, 19 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I tried translating it to English on DeepL.com and it seemed accurate.
I've updated those articles in French. I try to focus more taxonomy and scientific but when I come accross those kind of small mistakes I correct them. Arkin40700 (talk) 13:57, 19 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I've never looked at Conventions typographiques, but I figured there was something like that. Clearly the rules are different on French and English Wikipedia. I've no formal training in French but I know plenty of words and I've spent some wonderful time in Provence, so I feel like I can figure out a lot (and sometimes I can see where translations lead astray). My best to you. SchreiberBike | ⌨ 16:31, 19 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Translating French page in English
Hello,
I have made a page for a Swiss sculptor (from the same region as me), Marc Raymond, on the French Wikipedia. I was wondering how to do an English translation of this page. I have tried to translate but it is only for experience editors from the English Wikipedia.
@Adamdoter: Thanks for your note. I'm in a busy period just now and haven't had much time for Wikipedia. I will be away from my computer completely for the next four days. I took a quick look at User:Adamdoter/Marc Raymond and it looks reasonable, but needs some work. Since you asked, I'd be happy to work on it with you next week, but if someone else can work on it sooner, they should feel free. There's all kinds of helpful information at Wikipedia:Translation and Help:Translation that I've not read, but I'll bet, like most of Wikipedia's rules, it is somewhat overwhelming. My French is not nearly good enough to translate, but I'd be happy to edit the English version. Thank you, SchreiberBike | ⌨ 12:17, 26 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Hello,
Thank you very much, I feel relieved really, because I am a bit lost with all Wikipedia rules and my English isn't the best.
Please take your time, no hurry, and if you can help me out with this traduction I will really appreciate !
Hi SchreiberBike - the pic I swapped out on Talk:List of birds of Yuma County, Arizona is very low quality; I was orphaning it with a view to nominating it for deletion at Commons. Does that affect your decision? Usually, a pic in use won't get deleted, though I see that several other images on that talk page are dead links, so maybe use on talk pages doesn't preclude deletion? Thanks! - MPF (talk) 22:22, 31 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@MPF: I don't know anything about deletion at Commons. I wouldn't think that an image used only on a talk page would have much value, but I'm sure there's a history of precedents about such things. When I reverted your change, I was thinking of how I'd feel if someone modified a message I'd sent, even if it had been posted long ago. I think the best thing is that the image is deleted and the image turns into red text with the file name. SchreiberBike | ⌨ 02:16, 1 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Can you tell if the edits being made by 102.19.xxx on that article are at all legitimate? None are sourced, and they don't engage at any of their talk page(s). I don't know enough to tell if they're making stuff up, or if it's factual information. Joyous!Noise!00:34, 1 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@Joyous!: I wonder too. I sure would prefer to have a reference for each fact, but when I look at their pattern of edits they don't seem like a vandal. I've checked a few of the additions and they look reasonable, but I've not checked everything or checked thoroughly. In cases like this I assume good faith and hope I'm right. If you've got any further insight, please share. Thanks and keep up the good work. SchreiberBike | ⌨ 02:05, 1 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@Greatstrongholder: I made the change at Vulva, but not at Ear. Ear is marked as a good article, which means there has been some review and what is there has some validity. I think your note at Talk:Ear asking for the same change will probably get a response from someone with more expertise and experience with the article than I. Thank you, SchreiberBike | ⌨ 01:42, 30 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Reverted edits on List of birds of Papua New Guinea
I removed the Dusky Megapode because it is simply not in Papua New Guinea. I removed and added a few more birds, since it seems like someone assumed that the article was for list of birds of new guinea as a whole, which it is not. Qwexcxewq (talk) 23:42, 7 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@Qwexcxewq: That makes perfect sense. A note in the edit summary tells other editors why an edit is made. Without that note it's hard to tell what is an edit made for good reasons and what is random vandalism. Thanks for your note above and keep up the good work. SchreiberBike | ⌨ 00:26, 8 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
ArbCom 2024 Elections voter message
Hello! Voting in the 2024 Arbitration Committee elections is now open until 23:59 (UTC) on Monday, 2 December 2024. All eligible users are allowed to vote. Users with alternate accounts may only vote once.
The Arbitration Committee is the panel of editors responsible for conducting the Wikipedia arbitration process. It has the authority to impose binding solutions to disputes between editors, primarily for serious conduct disputes the community has been unable to resolve. This includes the authority to impose site bans, topic bans, editing restrictions, and other measures needed to maintain our editing environment. The arbitration policy describes the Committee's roles and responsibilities in greater detail.
I don't understand why you insist that this species lives in Mongolia. If you have evidence, we can discuss this topic. Meaning the Gobi pit viper Erdenetushig (talk) 08:09, 12 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@Erdenetushig: It looks like you are writing about List of reptiles of Mongolia where you have removed "* Gobi pit viper ( ''[[Gloydius stejnegeri]]'')" three times without explanation. Edit summaries are one of the simplest ways the editors of Wikipedia communicate. The two times I have reverted your unexplained change I have used the edit summary "Undo unexplained edit". That's the edit summary I usually use if someone removes content which looks reasonable and doesn't explain why. I also did a quick web search and found that some sources, including Wikipedia, report Gloydius stejnegeri in Mongolia. If you make a change to a page, please explain to other editors why you are making the change.Why do you think Gloydius stejnegeri should be removed from List of reptiles of Mongolia? I've done further research this morning, and it looks like there is not general agreement on taxonomy, with some treating it as a species and others treating it as a subspecies of Gloydius halys or Gloydius intermedius. I have no specialist knowledge about snakes, but that's what I found. SchreiberBike | ⌨ 14:26, 12 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@Erdenetushig: The source you linked above says "Distribution China, SE Mongolia". I read that as China and south-east Mongolia. That's different from Inner Mongolia. That source says the species is found in Mongolia.I know little about reptiles or Mongolia, and I suspect you have much more knowledge about both. I respect that, but Wikipedia has to report what reliable sources say. Do you have other better sources that meet Wikipedia's standards for reliability? SchreiberBike | ⌨ 15:24, 12 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@Erdenetushig: You know what? I found that the species was added by @Comores 123 without an explanation, just like you tried to remove it without an explanation. I didn't revert it at the time because it was confirmed by Gloydius stejnegeri, but Wikipedia is not a reliable source either. Unless Comores 123 makes a counter argument (I've pinged them above), let's leave it out. Thanks, SchreiberBike | ⌨ 00:35, 13 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I do not create publications, herpetology is just my job. And I try to correct mistakes that are made due to ignorance of the Mongolian herpetofauna. Erdenetushig (talk) 02:54, 13 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
_(20536251169).jpg)
.jpg)
,_El-Al_river_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
