User:Caleb Brownfield/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
Hellbender

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
Hellbenders are one of my favorite organisms and I believe that it is important for information regarding them to be as accurate as possible given their precarious position in the ecosystem.

Evaluate the article
(Compose a detailed evaluation of the article here, considering each of the key aspects listed above. Consider the guiding questions, and check out the examples of what a useful Wikipedia article evaluation looks like.)

 Lead Section: 

The lead section does a good job at summarizing the Hellbender's description in terms of nomenclature, natural history, and interesting features. However, it lacks other identifying characteristics within the summary(These characteristics are elaborated on later in the article).

Content:

The Etymology section provides exemplary insight into the origins of the species' common names, however it lacks a proper explanation for the main common name of "Hellbender"(Not entirely their fault as it seems there's no proper record to explain the name). It goes on to translate the meaning of its scientific name, but does not explain the origin of either the genus or specific epithet. To clarify, they did translate the genus but did not give an explanation as to why they were given that name in that section.

The Description section provides a good picture of the Hellbender's physical characteristics as well as illustrations to help visualize them. It also provides comparisons with other similar species as well as other amphibians and the distinguishing characteristics to tell them apart.

The Taxonomy section aids in describing the troublesome history behind the subspecies of Hellbenders and explains the existence of three distinct metapopulations within the species.

The Distribution section details the range of the species, as well as its subspecies, very well, also providing details of its past range and the reasons for the shift between the past and current ranges.

I believe that the ecology, life history/behaviour, and adaptations sections should be put together, with proper subheadings, as the ecology of the species includes its life history/behaviour. Otherwise, both sections provide good detail on the species' ecology.

The conservation status provides a holistic analysis on the causes of endangerment within Hellbender populations and efforts that have been taken to help conserve them.

Tone and Balance/Sources and References:

The article provides the information on the subject in a fairly even and unbiased tone, utilizing many credible sources to back their own credibility.

 Overall Impression: 

While there are some definite issues with the article, it is not really with the information presented but rather how it is presented.