In
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (
taxon
In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...
) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic
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 one that does not include
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispecific" or "monospecific" is sometimes preferred. In
botanical nomenclature
Botanical nomenclature is the formal, scientific naming of plants. It is related to, but distinct from Alpha taxonomy, taxonomy. Plant taxonomy is concerned with grouping and classifying plants; botanical nomenclature then provides names for the ...
, a monotypic genus is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
in the special case where a genus and a single species are simultaneously described. In contrast, an oligotypic taxon contains more than one but only a very few subordinate taxa.
Examples
Just as the term ''monotypic'' is used to describe a taxon including only one subdivision, the contained taxon can also be referred to as monotypic within the higher-level taxon, e.g. a genus monotypic within a family. Some examples of monotypic groups are:
Plants
* In the
order
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
Amborellales, there is only one
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
, Amborellaceae and there is only one genus, ''
Amborella
''Amborella'' is a monotypic genus of understory shrubs or small trees endemic to the main island, Grande Terre, of New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific Ocean. The genus is the only member of the family Amborellaceae and the order Amborellale ...
'', and in this genus there is only one species, namely ''Amborella trichopoda.''
* The flowering plant ''Breonadia salicina'' is the only species in the monotypic genus ''
Breonadia''.
* The family Cephalotaceae includes only one genus, ''
Cephalotus'', and only one species, ''Cephalotus follicularis'' – the Albany pitcher plant.
* The
division Ginkgophyta is monotypic, containing the single class Ginkgoopsida. This class is also monotypic, containing the single order Ginkgoales.
* Flowering plant ''Nandina domestica'' is the only species in the genus ''
Nandina''.
* It is today generally accepted that
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
(''Cannabis sativa'') is a monospecific genus.
Animals
*The
madrone butterfly
''Eucheira socialis'', commonly known as the Madrone butterfly is a lepidopteran that belongs to the family Pieridae. It was first described by Westwood in 1834. Locally known as ''Mariposa del madroño'' or ''tzauhquiocuilin'', it is endemic to ...
is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Eucheira''. However, there are two subspecies of this
butterfly
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...
, ''E. socialis socialis'' and ''E. socialis westwoodi'', which means the species ''E. socialis'' is not monotypic.
*
''Delphinapterus leucas'' or the beluga whale is the only member of its genus and lacks subspecies.
*''Dugong dugong''is the only species in the monotypic genus ''
Dugong''.
*
''Homo sapiens'' (humans) are monotypic, as they have too little
genetic diversity
Genetic diversity is the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species, it ranges widely from the number of species to differences within species and can be attributed to the span of survival for a species. It is dis ...
to harbor any living
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
.
*The
narwhal
The narwhal, also known as a narwhale (''Monodon monoceros''), is a medium-sized toothed whale that possesses a large "tusk" from a protruding canine tooth. It lives year-round in the Arctic waters around Greenland, Canada and Russia. It is o ...
is a medium sized
cetacean
Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively carnivorous diet. They propel them ...
that is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Monodon''.
*The
platypus
The platypus (''Ornithorhynchus anatinus''), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal Endemic (ecology), endemic to Eastern states of Australia, eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypu ...
is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Ornithorhynchus''.
* ''Ozichthys albimaculosus'', the cream-spotted cardinalfish, found in tropical Australia and southern New Guinea, is the type species of the monotypic genus ''
Ozichthys
''Ozichthys'' is a monotypic genus of cardinalfish, which was named and characterized in 2014.
Its sole species, ''Ozichthys albimaculosus'' (also known as the cream-spotted cardinalfish), is found in tropical Australia and southern New Guinea.
...
''.
* The
bearded reedling
The bearded reedling (''Panurus biarmicus'') is a small, sexual dimorphism, sexually dimorphic reed bed, reed-bed passerine bird. It is frequently known as the bearded tit, due to some similarities to the long-tailed tit, or the bearded parrotbil ...
is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Panurus'', which is the only genus in the monotypic family Panuridae.
See also
*
Glossary of scientific naming
This is a list of terms and symbols used in scientific names for organisms, and in describing the names. For proper parts of the names themselves, see List of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names. Note that many of the abbreviat ...
*
Monophyly
In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic grou ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monotypic Taxon
Conservation biology
Speciation