Zoological and Botanical Nomenclature

Aristotle (384-322 BC) the Father of Zoology indicated that may be grouped together according to their characters. Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) laid the real basis for modern classification and nomenclature. He divided and subdivided the Animal Kingdom down to species on the basis of structural characters and gave each species a distinct name in his Systema Naturae (1758). The principles of his system is however the basis for our present method of classification. With many kinds of animals and numerous taxonomists at work some confusion in nomenclature has arisen in naming and describing them in different countries. Same name has been given to different animals (Homonyms) or different names to the same animal (Synonyms). The international Congress of Zoology held at Cambridge in 1898 set up an international Commission on Zoological Nomenclature as a permanent body. They issued the Code of Rules, which together with the recommendations under the articles, the Appendix to the Code and the opinions of the Commission given from time to time control and regulate the whole question of the naming of animals.

1.      Zoological and botanical names are distinct.

2.      No names are recognized prior to those include by Linnaeus in the systema Naturae, 10^th Edition, 1758.

3.      No two genera in the Animal Kingdom may be same name and the same applies to two species in a genus.

4.      Scientific names must be either latin or latinized and preferable printed in italics.

5.      The genus name should be a single word and begin with a capital letter.

6.      The species name should be a single or compound word begining  with a small letter.

7.      The author of a scientific name is the person who first publishes it in a generally accessible book or periodical with a recognizable description of the animal.

8.      When a new genus is proposed the type must be indicated.

9.      A family name is denoted by adding IDAE to the stem of the name of the type genus and a subfamily name by INAE.

In this system of binomial nomenclature each species is given two names, the first which is used for a group of closely related species (genus) has specific name. Species is defined as groups of populations that can potentially exchange genes with one another and which reproductively isolated from other group. The name of the genera and species are printed in italics; the generic name begins with a capita, and the specific name with a small letter, eg. Moniezia expansa.