''Species affinis'' (commonly abbreviated to: ''sp.'', ''aff.'', or ''affin.'') is

taxonomic Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

terminology in

zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...

and

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

. In

open nomenclature Open nomenclature is a vocabulary of partly informal terms and signs in which a taxonomist may express remarks about their own material. This is in contrast to synonymy lists, in which a taxonomist may express remarks on the work of others. Common ...

it indicates that available material or evidence suggests that the proposed

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

is related to, has an

affinity Affinity may refer to: Commerce, finance and law * Affinity (law), kinship by marriage * Affinity analysis, a market research and business management technique * Affinity Credit Union, a Saskatchewan-based credit union * Affinity Equity Par ...

to, but is not identical to, the species with the

binomial Binomial may refer to: In mathematics *Binomial (polynomial), a polynomial with two terms * Binomial coefficient, numbers appearing in the expansions of powers of binomials *Binomial QMF, a perfect-reconstruction orthogonal wavelet decomposition ...

name it comes after. The Latin word ''affinis'' can be translated as "closely related to", or "akin to". An author who inserts '' n.sp.,'' or ''

sp. nov. In biological taxonomy, a ' (plural: '; abbreviation: ' plural abbreviation: ') is a new species. The phrase is Latin, and is used after a binomial name that is being published for the first time. An example is the species of miniature frog, ''P ...

, aff'' before a species name thereby states the opinion that the specimen is a new, previously undescribed species, but that there may not (yet) be enough information to complete a formal description. To use ''aff.'' alone, implies that the specimen differs suggestively from the

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...

but that further progress is necessary to confirm that it is a novel species. An example would be: a

gastropod shell The gastropod shell is part of the body of a Gastropoda, gastropod or snail, a kind of mollusc. The shell is an exoskeleton, which protects from predators, mechanical damage, and dehydration, but also serves for muscle attachment and calcium s ...

listed as ''Lucapina'' aff. ''L.'' ''aegis'' would mean that this shell somewhat resembles the shell of '' Lucapina aegis'', but is thought more likely to be another species, either closely related to, or closely resembling ''Lucapina aegis''. In a suitable context it also may suggest the possibility that the shell belongs to a species that has not yet been described. Within

entomology Entomology () is the science, scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such ...

, ''species proxima'' (Latin: 'the nearest species', abbreviated ''prox.'' or ''sp. prox.'') and species near (abbreviated nr. or sp. nr.) indicate a specimen is similar to, but distinct from, a described species. The use of ''aff.'' is similar to other indicators of open nomenclature such as ''

cf. The abbreviation ''cf.'' (short for the la, confer/conferatur, both meaning "compare") is used in writing to refer the reader to other material to make a comparison with the topic being discussed. Style guides recommend that ''cf.'' be used onl ...

'', ''sp.'', or ?, but the latter indicate that the species is uncertain rather than undescribed.

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Cf. The abbreviation ''cf.'' (short for the la, confer/conferatur, both meaning "compare") is used in writing to refer the reader to other material to make a comparison with the topic being discussed. Style guides recommend that ''cf.'' be used onl ...

* Glossary of scientific names *

List of classical abbreviations The following list contains a selection from the Latin abbreviations that occur in the writings and inscriptions of the Romans. A *A. – ''Absolvo, Actum, Aedilis, Aes, Aedilis, Ager, Ago, Aio, Amicus, Annus, Antiquo, Auctor, Auditor, Aug ...

List of Latin abbreviations This is a list of common Latin abbreviations. Nearly all the abbreviations below have been adopted by Modern English. However, with some exceptions (for example, ''versus'' or ''modus operandi''), most of the Latin referent words and phrases are ...

List of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names This list of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names is intended to help those unfamiliar with classical languages to understand and remember the scientific names of organisms. The binomial nomenclature used for animals and plants i ...

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References

Further reading