Much ado about very little

Molecular-based taxonomy is almost purely utilitarian, a non-taxonomist’s idea of taxonomy. But the ability to identify species about which almost nothing is known is a hollow, unambitious goal unworthy of the intellectual traditions, scientific accomplishments, and fantastic potential of systematic biology. Molecular data has great value when synthesized with evidence from morphology, fossils and ontogeny; but pursued alone, as exemplified by DNA barcodes and minimalist taxonomy, molecular systematics is much ado about very little.