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Genus is a taxonomic rank between family and species, consisting of structurally or phylogenetically related species or a single isolated species. Learn how genus names are used in binomial nomenclature and how speciation occurs through genetic separation and phenotypic differentiation.
- Binomial Nomenclature
In Species Plantarum …precise and workable two-word, or...
- Phylogenetics
phylogenetics, in biology, the study of the ancestral...
- Taxon
Taxon, any unit used in the science of biological...
- Binomial Nomenclature
- Overview
- Taxonomy
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species, in biology, classification comprising related organisms that share common characteristics and are capable of interbreeding. This biological species concept is widely used in biology and related fields of study. There are more than 20 other different species concepts, however. Some examples include the ecological species concept, which desc...
The designation of species originates in taxonomy, where the species is the fundamental unit of classification recognized by the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature. Every species is assigned a standard two-part name of genus and species. The genus is the generic name that includes closely related species; the gray wolf, for example, is classified as Canis lupus and is a close relative of the coyote found in North America and designated as Canis latrans, their systematic relation indicated by their sharing the same genus name, Canis. Similarly, genera that have shared characters (or traits) are classified in the same taxonomic family; related families are placed in the same order; related orders are placed in the same class; and related classes are placed in the same phylum. This classification system is a hierarchy applied to all animals and plants, as originally set forth by the Swedish naturalist Carolus Linnaeus in the 18th century.
Organisms are grouped into species partly according to their morphological, or external, similarities, but more important in classifying sexually reproducing organisms is the organisms’ ability to successfully interbreed. Individuals of a single species can mate and produce viable offspring with one another but almost never with members of other species. Separate species have been known to produce hybrid offspring (for example, the horse and the donkey producing the mule), but, because the offspring are almost always inviable or sterile, the interbreeding is not considered successful.
Interbreeding only within the species is of great importance for evolution in that individuals of one species share a common gene pool that members of other species do not. Within a single pool there is always a certain amount of variation among individuals, and those whose genetic variations leave them at a disadvantage in a particular environment tend to be eliminated in favour of those with advantageous variations. This process of natural selection results in the gene pool’s evolving in such a way that the advantageous variations become the norm. Because genetic variations originate in individuals of a species and because those individuals pass on their variations only within the species, then it is at the species level that evolution takes place. The evolution of one species into others is called speciation.
Britannica Quiz
Learn about the biological species concept, which classifies organisms based on their ability to interbreed and share common characteristics. See examples of species names and how they are related to higher taxonomic groups.
Sep 8, 2023 · A genus is a taxonomic rank comprised of species grouped based on shared attributes (having similar structures or distinct characteristics) or being phylogenetically related. It is one of the eight major taxonomic ranks in the biological classification of living things.
Genus ( / ˈdʒiːnəs / pl.: genera / ˈdʒɛnərə /) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. [1] In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus.
Learn how to scientifically name organisms with two words: genus and species. See examples of elephants, mangoes, and bacteria.
Jan 24, 2023 · Learn how biologists define a species and see examples of different species in the Canis genus. Find out how hybridization, genetic analysis, and taxonomy affect the number and identity of species on Earth.
Apr 28, 2017 · A species is a group of organisms that share a genetic heritage, are able to interbreed, and to create offspring that are also fertile. Different species are separated from each other by reproductive barriers.
