Species description

A species description is a special way scientists share news about a new living thing they discovered. Scientists usually write about their discovery in a report called a scientific publication. The description tells what the new species looks like and how it is different from others already known.

For a new species to be officially recognized, the description must follow rules set by special groups. These groups include the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature for animals, the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants for plants, and the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses for viruses.

When scientists describe a new species, they often add pictures or drawings of the example they studied, called type material. They also say where this example is kept so others can see it. The report gives the new species its official scientific name. Scientists have identified about 1.9 million species so far, but many more may still be waiting to be discovered.

Naming process

See also: Scientific nomenclature

When scientists find a new species, they write a special description in a scientific journal. This tells everyone about the new species.

Scientists pick names based on how the species looks, where it was found, or to honor someone. For example, a bat with stripes might be named for its stripes, and a frog from Bolivia might be named after that country. Sometimes, names thank people who help science.

Species names are written in Latin letters, even if they come from other languages. Once a name is published, it usually stays the same forever.

History

Early scientists wrote big books to describe animals they knew. One of the first books was written by Aristotle around 343 BC. He described fish and sea creatures from his home, and he also wrote about strange mythical animals like the manticore.

Later, Pliny the Elder wrote about animals in his book Natural History. He talked about some of the same mythical creatures as Aristotle.

In the 1100s, a book called Konungs skuggsjá described whales, seals, and sea monsters from icy waters near Iceland. It mentioned a mythical sea monster called hafgufu.

Carl Linnaeus helped organize how we name species. He started this work in 1735 with his book Systema Naturae. As more species were found, scientists began writing shorter papers to describe just one new species.

Modern differences

Today, scientists describe new species by following strict rules. These rules are in special guides called codes of nomenclature. Scientists study organisms carefully before describing them. Sometimes, they use something called a diagnosis to show how the new species is different from others. This diagnosis doesn’t always need to focus on the organism’s shape. Some scientists have described new species without keeping a physical example, which has caused some discussion.

Statistics

This section shows how many new species scientists found and named each year during the 2000s.