| Full binomial<\/td> | Scientific name, Latin name, binomen<\/td> | Both parts together, both italicized<\/td> | Homo sapiens<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Sources and Meaning of Binomial Names<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nBinomial names are derived from Latin or Latinized words from virtually any languages, and invented forms are all acceptable, provided they are given Latin grammatical form. Names can describe:<\/p>\n\n\n\n - Physical characteristics of the organism (e.g., Panthera tigris<\/em>, where tigris is Latin for tiger)<\/li>
- Geographic origin (e.g., Eucalyptus australiana<\/em>)<\/li>
- Habitat or ecological niche (e.g., Ursus maritimus<\/em> which means ‘sea bear’, for the polar bear)<\/li>
- The person who first described the species (e.g., Banksia named for Sir Joseph Banks)<\/li>
- A mythological or cultural reference<\/li>
- Occasionally, a tongue-in-cheek taxonomist’s private joke. The frog genus Mini and the beetle Agra phobia are real examples<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>The Concept of Priority<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nA fundamental rule governing all nomenclature codes is the principle of priority: the first validly published name for a species takes precedence over all later names (synonyms). Once a valid name has been established in the published literature, any subsequent names for the same species become synonyms and are formally invalid, regardless of how appropriate or descriptive they might be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The starting dates for priority are 1753 for plants (Linnaeus’s Species Plantarum) and 1758 for animals (10th edition of Systema Naturae). For bacteria, the starting date is January 1, 1980.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/span>
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