ISSN 1125-0003 print/ISSN 1748-5851 online © 2010 Unione Zoologica Italiana DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2010.514160 Italian Journal of Zoology, September 2010; 77(3): 253 TIZO EDITORIAL 2010: The year of biodiversity Anniversaries are sometimes an excuse to liberate our conscience by honoring something that will be relegated into oblivion shortly thereafter. 2010 is the year of biodiversity, but taxonomy, the basic science of biodiversity, is in severe distress (Boero 2009, 2010). This journal does not celebrate biodiversity due to an anniversary. Biodiversity has been our topic since the very beginning of our history (by the way, besides the last five years, the back issues of the Journal are freely available on our web page, http:// www.informaworld.com/ijz, starting from 1930: check them over), when the word had not yet been coined. The recent contributions of the Italian Journal of Zoology to the basic study of biodiversity reside in taxonomic revisions, descriptions of new species and higher taxa, phylogenetic analyses (see for instance the recent papers by Andreone et al. 2009; Dell’Angelo et al. 2009; Denys et al. 2009; Stocchino et al. 2009). Some of these studies are carried out on representatives of the Italian fauna, others are based on more or less “exotic” corners of the world. Biodiversity is not only species or higher taxa description, though. It is important to under- stand what the species do, what their role might be, since behaviour is an essential trait in the description of the diversity of life. The conservation of biodiver- sity is overly important, and we are very keen in giv- ing space to this relevant topic (Balletto et al. 2010). Some newly-discovered species receive lots of pub- licity in the media, as if the description of a new spe- cies were a sensational accomplishment of science. There are still millions of species that are waiting to be discovered, and all deserve the greatest attention. This is a relevant topic in the mission of the Journal. From this issue we have a new Advisory Board. We thank the former members for their help and support, and we welcome the new ones. We expect from them what their role suggests: advice. Recruit- ing good authors with exciting reports, helping in the reviewing process and, also, providing review articles about their main field of expertise. Ferdinando Boero Editor-in-Chief References Andreone F, Glaw F, Mattioli F, Jesu R, Schimmenti G, Randri- anirina JE, Vences M. 2009. The peculiar herpetofauna of some Tsaratanana rainforests and its affinities with Manon- garivo and other massifs and forests of northern Madagascar. Italian Journal of Zoology 76(1): 92–110. Balletto E, Bonelli S, Borghesi L, Casale A, Brandmayr P, Vigna Taglianti A. 2010. Hotspots of biodiversity and conservation priorities: A methodological approach. Italian Journal of Zool- ogy 77(1): 2–13. Boero F. 2009. Zoology in the era of biodiversity. Italian Journal of Zoology 76(3): 239. Boero F. 2010. The study of species in the era of biodiversity: a tale of stupidity. Diversity 2: 115–126. Dell’Angelo B, Giusti F, Paolini P, Sosso M, Bonfitto A. 2009. New data on Polyplacophora from Tuscan Archipelago. I. Leptochiton sarsi Kaas, 1981 and Leptochiton pepezamorai Car- mona Zalvide, Urgorri & Garcia, 2004, two species new to the Mediterranean Sea. Italian Journal of Zoology 76(1): 76–82. Denys C, Lalis A, Aniskin V, Kourouma F, Soropogui B, Sylla O, Doré A, Koulemou K, Beavogui ZB, Sylla M, Camara A, Camara AB, Camara AC, Kouassi Kan S, Volobouev V, Camara C, Koivogui L, Bernard AK. 2009. New data on the taxonomy and distribution of Rodentia (Mammalia) from the western and coastal regions of Guinea West Africa. Italian Journal of Zoology 76(1): 111–128. Stocchino GA, Manconi R, Corso G, Sluys R, Casu S, Pala M. 2009 African planarians: Morphology and karyology of Duge- sia maghrebiana sp. n. (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) from Tunisia. Italian Journal of Zoology 76(1): 83–91.