Specific Name (zoology)
The specific name in zoological nomenclature (also: specific epithet or species epithet) is the second part (the second name) within the name of a species (a binomen). The first part of the name of a species is the name of the genus or the generic name.
The rules and regulations governing the giving of a new species name are explained in the article species description.
- Example: The scientific name for humans is Homo sapiens, which is the species name, consisting of two names: Homo is the "generic name" (the name of the genus) and sapiens is the "specific name".
Read more about Specific Name (zoology): The Grammar of Species Names, Differences From Botany
Famous quotes containing the word specific:
“The more specific idea of evolution now reached is—a change from an indefinite, incoherent homogeneity to a definite, coherent heterogeneity, accompanying the dissipation of motion and integration of matter.”
—Herbert Spencer (1820–1903)