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Binomial nomenclature: Why am I seeing different genera with the same species name?
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Mark Fischler
Binomial nomenclature: Why am I seeing different genera with the same species name?
Two different species can have the same species epithet if they belong to different genera ('species name' is referring to the full binomial name). Consider for example Pinus glabra and Ilex glabra
P. glabra
I. glabra
Two species can be have the same genus name (meaning they belong to the same genus) and will therefore necessarily have different species epithets (otherwise we would name them exactly the same way which would be very confusing). Consider for example Pinus glabra (again) and Pinus resionosa
P.glabra
P. resinosa
As a consequence, if two species share the same species epithet then it tells you nothing about how closely related they are. If they share the same genus name, then they belong to the same genus (except exceptions probably!).
For the above examples, the term glabra comes from "glaber" (latin) which means "Hairless". So the only thing you can tell from P. glabra and I. glabra is that they are probably both hairless when you compare them with their respective closely related species.
Two different species can have the same species epithet if they belong to different genera ('species name' is referring to the full binomial name). Consider for example Pinus glabra and Ilex glabra
P. glabra
I. glabra
Two species can be have the same genus name (meaning they belong to the same genus) and will therefore necessarily have different species epithets (otherwise we would name them exactly the same way which would be very confusing). Consider for example Pinus glabra (again) and Pinus resionosa
P.glabra
P. resinosa
As a consequence, if two species share the same species epithet then it tells you nothing about how closely related they are. If they share the same genus name, then they belong to the same genus (except exceptions probably!).
For the above examples, the term glabra comes from "glaber" (latin) which means "Hairless". So the only thing you can tell from P. glabra and I. glabra is that they are probably both hairless when you compare them with their respective closely related species.
This is a widespread issue amongst binomial names. Only the full binomial name has to be unique in nomenclature, and therefore many genera contain different organisms with the same specific epithet. As Remi.b has already mentioned, two organisms with binomial names that have the same species but different genus are very likely more different from each other than two organisms that share a genus but have a different specific epithet.
For example, the Wikipedia page on the specific epithet "Officinalis" lists dozens of organisms with a variant of that specific epithet conforming to the Latin declension of its genus.
This list consists of organisms which are completely unrelated to each other, containing fungi, plants and animals.
This is a widespread issue amongst binomial names. Only the full binomial name has to be unique in nomenclature, and therefore many genera contain different organisms with the same specific epithet. As Remi.b has already mentioned, two organisms with binomial names that have the same species but different genus are very likely more different from each other than two organisms that share a genus but have a different specific epithet.
For example, the Wikipedia page on the specific epithet "Officinalis" lists dozens of organisms with a variant of that specific epithet conforming to the Latin declension of its genus.
This list consists of organisms which are completely unrelated to each other, containing fungi, plants and animals.
Two different species can have the same species epithet if they belong to different genera ('species name' is referring to the full binomial name). Consider for example Pinus glabra and Ilex glabra
P. glabra
I. glabra
Two species can be have the same genus name (meaning they belong to the same genus) and will therefore necessarily have different species epithets (otherwise we would name them exactly the same way which would be very confusing). Consider for example Pinus glabra (again) and Pinus resionosa
P.glabra
P. resinosa
As a consequence, if two species share the same species epithet then it tells you nothing about how closely related they are. If they share the same genus name, then they belong to the same genus (except exceptions probably!).
For the above examples, the term glabra comes from "glaber" (latin) which means "Hairless". So the only thing you can tell from P. glabra and I. glabra is that they are probably both hairless when you compare them with their respective closely related species.
Two different species can have the same species epithet if they belong to different genera ('species name' is referring to the full binomial name). Consider for example Pinus glabra and Ilex glabra
P. glabra
I. glabra
Two species can be have the same genus name (meaning they belong to the same genus) and will therefore necessarily have different species epithets (otherwise we would name them exactly the same way which would be very confusing). Consider for example Pinus glabra (again) and Pinus resionosa
P.glabra
P. resinosa
As a consequence, if two species share the same species epithet then it tells you nothing about how closely related they are. If they share the same genus name, then they belong to the same genus (except exceptions probably!).
For the above examples, the term glabra comes from "glaber" (latin) which means "Hairless". So the only thing you can tell from P. glabra and I. glabra is that they are probably both hairless when you compare them with their respective closely related species.
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This is a widespread issue amongst binomial names. Only the full binomial name has to be unique in nomenclature, and therefore many genera contain different organisms with the same specific epithet. As Remi.b has already mentioned, two organisms with binomial names that have the same species but different genus are very likely more different from each other than two organisms that share a genus but have a different specific epithet.
For example, the Wikipedia page on the specific epithet "Officinalis" lists dozens of organisms with a variant of that specific epithet conforming to the Latin declension of its genus.
This list consists of organisms which are completely unrelated to each other, containing fungi, plants and animals.
This is a widespread issue amongst binomial names. Only the full binomial name has to be unique in nomenclature, and therefore many genera contain different organisms with the same specific epithet. As Remi.b has already mentioned, two organisms with binomial names that have the same species but different genus are very likely more different from each other than two organisms that share a genus but have a different specific epithet.
For example, the Wikipedia page on the specific epithet "Officinalis" lists dozens of organisms with a variant of that specific epithet conforming to the Latin declension of its genus.
This list consists of organisms which are completely unrelated to each other, containing fungi, plants and animals.
More
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