Trinomen

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Trinomen

In zoology

ICZN

ICZN may refer to:*International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, an organization*International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, published by that organization...
, a trinomen, or trinominal name, refers to the name of a subspecies

Subspecies

In biology, subspecies is the taxonomic rank immediately subordinate to a species. A subspecies is a taxonomic group which is less distinct than the Common descent or species from which it originates....
.

A trinomen is a name consisting of three names: generic name

Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
, 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....
and subspecific name

Subspecific name

In ICZN, a subspecific name is the third part of a trinomen. In zoology there is only one rank below that of species, namely "subspecies".The name of a subspecies is a trinomen, a trinomial name, i.e....
. All three names are typeset in italics, and only the generic name is capitalised. No indicator of rank is included: in zoology, subspecies is the only rank below that of species.

Buteo jamaicensis borealis is one of the subspecies of the red-tailed hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

The Red-tailed Hawk is a medium-sized bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "Chickenhawk ," though it rarely preys on chickens....
. (Buteo jamaicensis).

If the generic and specific name have already been mentioned in the same paragraph, they are often abbreviated to initial letters: for example one might write, "The Great Cormorant

Great Cormorant

The Great Cormorant , known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the Black Cormorant in Australia and the Black Shag further south in New Zealand, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds....
Phalacrocorax carbo has a distinct subspecies in Australasia

Australasia

Australasia is a region of Oceania: New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes ....
, the Black Shag P.

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Trinomen'

Start a new discussion about 'Trinomen'

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 trinomen, or trinominal name, refers to the name of a subspecies
Subspecies

In biology, subspecies is the taxonomic rank immediately subordinate to a species. A subspecies is a taxonomic group which is less distinct than the Common descent or species from which it originates....
.

A trinomen is a name consisting of three names: generic name
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
, 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....
and subspecific name
Subspecific name

In ICZN, a subspecific name is the third part of a trinomen. In zoology there is only one rank below that of species, namely "subspecies".The name of a subspecies is a trinomen, a trinomial name, i.e....
. All three names are typeset in italics, and only the generic name is capitalised. No indicator of rank is included: in zoology, subspecies is the only rank below that of species.

Buteo jamaicensis borealis is one of the subspecies of the red-tailed hawk
Red-tailed Hawk

The Red-tailed Hawk is a medium-sized bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "Chickenhawk ," though it rarely preys on chickens....
. (Buteo jamaicensis).

If the generic and specific name have already been mentioned in the same paragraph, they are often abbreviated to initial letters: for example one might write, "The Great Cormorant
Great Cormorant

The Great Cormorant , known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the Black Cormorant in Australia and the Black Shag further south in New Zealand, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds....
Phalacrocorax carbo has a distinct subspecies in Australasia
Australasia

Australasia is a region of Oceania: New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes ....
, the Black Shag P. c. novaehollandiae".

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.

Phalacrocorax carbo novaehollandiae Stephens, 1826

It must be noted that while binomial nomenclature came into being and immediately gained widespread acceptance in the mid-18th century, it was not until the early 20th century that the current unified standard of trinomial nomenclature was agreed upon, mainly due to its tireless promotion by Elliott Coues
Elliott Coues

Elliott Coues was an United States army surgery, historian, ornithologist and author.Coues was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He graduated at George Washington University, Washington, D.C., in 1861, and at the Medical school of that institution in 1863....
. See Allen (1884) for an example of the state of the debate and competing approaches in the late 19th century. Thus, when referring especially European works of the preceding era, remember that the nomenclature used is usually not in accord with contemporary standards.

See also

binominal nomenclature
in plants, an infraspecific taxon
Infraspecific taxon

In botanical nomenclature, an infraspecific taxon is a taxon at a rank below that of species . An infraspecific taxon gets a ternary name....
gets a three part name, a ternary name
Ternary name

In botanical nomenclature, the ICBN prescribes a "three part name" for any taxon below the rank of species. The ranks below that of species explicitly allowed in the ICBN are...
.
forms in zoological literature
Forms in zoological literature

Forma is a low-level taxonomic rank. It is used in a series of terms and abbreviations to describe variation in animals, especially insects....