Binomen

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Binomen

In zoology

ICZN

ICZN may refer to:*International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, an organization*International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, published by that organization...
, a binomen, or binominal name, is the name of a species. The term was introduced in 1953.

A binomen is a name consisting of two names: generic name

Generic name

Generic name may be:*Generic name, name of a biological genus*Generic name, International Nonproprietary Name for a drug*A placeholder name, referring to nobody in particular, such as Joe Bloggs or John Q. Public...
and specific name

Specific name

In zoological nomenclature, a specific name or specific epithet is the second part in the name of a species . The first part is the name of the genus....
. Both names are typeset in italics, but only the generic name is capitalised.

Canis lupus the wolf.

If the generic name has already been mentioned in the same paragraph, it is often abbreviated to the initial letter in subsequent uses (C.

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Binomen'

Start a new discussion about 'Binomen'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

In zoology
ICZN

ICZN may refer to:*International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, an organization*International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, published by that organization...
, a binomen, or binominal name, is the name of a species. The term was introduced in 1953.

A binomen is a name consisting of two names: generic name
Generic name

Generic name may be:*Generic name, name of a biological genus*Generic name, International Nonproprietary Name for a drug*A placeholder name, referring to nobody in particular, such as Joe Bloggs or John Q. Public...
and specific name
Specific name

In zoological nomenclature, a specific name or specific epithet is the second part in the name of a species . The first part is the name of the genus....
. Both names are typeset in italics, but only the generic name is capitalised.

Canis lupus the wolf.

If the generic name has already been mentioned in the same paragraph, it is often abbreviated to the initial letter in subsequent uses (C. lupus).

In a taxonomic
Alpha taxonomy

Alpha taxonomy is the science of finding, describing and categorising organisms, thus leading to the recognition of proposed taxonomic groups, or taxon , which may then be naming conventions....
publication, a name is incomplete without an author citation and publication details. This indicates who published the name; in what publication; with the date of the publication.

It is incorrect to refer to the genus and species as part of a "binomial" nomenclature. Binomial refers to a probability distribution based on a process known as a Bernoulli trial. Instead, the correct term is binominal nomenclature, which consists of a binomen, the genus and species.

See also

Nomenclature Codes
Nomenclature Codes

The Nomenclature Codes are the rulebooks that govern biological nomenclature.After the successful introduction of two-part names for species by Carolus Linnaeus it became ever more apparent that a detailed body of rules was necessary to govern scientific names....
binominal nomenclature
in plants, a species gets a two part name, a binary name.