AMTC Species List
Australasian Mammal Taxonomy Consortium (AMTC)
The AMTC is an affiliated body of the AMS, and as such, the AMTC was proposed and endorsed (Established) at the AMS Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 18 November 2020.
The AMTC aims to:
1. promote stability and consensus in the use of Australasian mammal scientific names via updatable online species lists approved by AMTC members, thereby supporting more rigorous study of mammals and their biodiversity;
2. provide advice and guidance on taxonomy, and promote its cause and importance to scientists and laypersons; and
3. promote the importance of taxonomic-based research and foster and enable collaborative taxonomy-focussed research projects.
The structure of the AMTC includes both a Steering Committee (the AMTCSC) and a broader membership base.
The primary role of the AMTCSC shall be to generate, oversee and annually update the approved mammal species lists for the region, including Australia and potentially other regions of Australasia, such as New Guinea, neighbouring South Pacific Islands and New Zealand. The AMTCSC shall consult with and seek input from the AMTC, IUCN and other relevant international regional authorities on the constitution of said species lists before making a final decision. the AMTCSC shall ensure that any generated AMTC-approved species lists are based on both recent and reliable published research and that they inform the lists supported by the AFD (ABRS). AMTC lists will be assessed and updated annually.
Please Note. The AMTC Australian Mammal Species List contains two sheets: a main species/subspecies list and an auxiliary list of unnamed taxa. The contents of the ‘Other Common Names’ column were originally sourced from mammal species accounts compiled by experts for the publication: Strahan’s Mammals of Australia (4th Edition), published in 2023. The AMTC acknowledges that the listed mammal common names are not complete because they will differ depending on the cultural heritage, language and knowledge practices of First Nations Peoples across Australia. The Australian Mammal Species List is updated annually, and we welcome suggested changes and additions, especially from traditional biocultural knowledge custodians, as we aspire to most accurately represent the depth and diversity of traditional knowledge, customs and practices.
How to cite the species list
- Within the text use: "...AMTC (2024)..." or "...(AMTC, 2024)...".
- In a reference list use:
AMTC 2024. The AMTC Australian Mammal Species List. Version 4.1. https://australianmammals.org.au/publications/amtc-species-list Downloaded on [Day Month Year].
Download the AMTC Australian Mammal Species List (Version 4.1 August 2024):
AMTCSC Species List Formation Guidelines (Version 2.0 June 2024) are here.
AMTC Governance Document (Version 2.0 2023) is here.
The AMTC endorses the position taken by Taxonomy Australia concerning taxonomic vandalism. Details can be found here.
AMTC Membership - AMTC members should be members of the AMS, academia, government organisations, or elsewhere, with expertise in biological diversity, conservation science, palaeontology, anatomy, morphometrics, phylogenomics, nomenclature, and other areas of biology, with a galvanising interest in understanding how these disciplines are applied to provide clearer understanding of the taxonomic relationships among our unique Australasian mammal fauna.
Researchers seeking membership in the AMTC should contact the standing chair of the AMTCSC, indicating briefly in an email their interest and track record in mammal taxonomy, via this email address: AMTC(insert 'at' symbol)australianmammals.org.au