Glossary · also binomial, Latin name
Scientific name
The formal two-part name of a species, written in italics: the genus, then the species.
Scientific names follow international rules so that one name refers to one species everywhere, whatever it is called locally. The first word is the genus and takes a capital; the second is never capitalised. Panthera leo is the lion: genus Panthera, species leo.
On this site the scientific name appears beside every common name, and either can be used to search or in a page address.
Related terms
- Common name
- The everyday name for an animal in a given language.
- Genus
- A rank below family: a group of closely related species. It is the first word of a scientific name.
- Authorship
- The person who first formally described a species, and the year, shown after its scientific name.
- Synonym
- An older or alternative scientific name for the same species, no longer the accepted one.