In
biological classification
In biology, taxonomy () is the scientific study of naming, defining ( circumscribing) and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics. Organisms are grouped into taxa (singular: taxon) and these groups are giv ...
, circumscriptional names are
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 n ...
names that are not ruled by
ICZN
The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) is a widely accepted convention in zoology that rules the formal scientific naming of organisms treated as animals. It is also informally known as the ICZN Code, for its publisher, the Int ...
and are defined by the particular set of members included. Circumscriptional names are used mainly for taxa above
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
-group level (e. g.
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 ...
or
class), but can be also used for taxa of any
ranks, as well as for rank-less taxa.
Non-typified names other than those of the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...
- or
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), 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 ...
-group constitute the majority of generally accepted names of
taxa
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 n ...
higher than
superfamily. The ICZN regulates names of taxa up to family group rank (i. e. superfamily). There are no generally accepted rules of naming higher taxa (orders, classes, phyla, etc.). Under the approach of
circumscription
Circumscription may refer to:
*Circumscribed circle
* Circumscription (logic)
*Circumscription (taxonomy)
*Circumscription theory
The circumscription theory is a theory of the role of warfare in state formation in political anthropology, created ...
-based (circumscriptional) nomenclatures, a circumscriptional name is associated with a certain circumscription of a taxon without regard of its rank or position.
Some authors advocate introducing a mandatory standardized typified nomenclature of higher taxa. They suggest all names of higher taxa to be derived in the same manner as family-group names, i.e. by modifying names of type genera with endings to reflect the rank. There is no consensus on what such higher rank endings should be. A number of established practices exist as to the use of typified names of higher taxa, depending on animal group.
See also
*
Descriptive botanical name, optional forms still used in botany for ranks above family and for a few family names
References
{{Reflist
* Kluge, N. 2000. "Sovremennaya Sistematika Nasekomyh ..."
odern Systematics of Insects. Part I. Principles of Systematics of Living Organisms and General System of Insects, with Classification of Primary Wingless and Paleopterous Insects- S.-Petersburg, Lan', 2000, 333 pp.; (c) N.Ju. Kluge, 2000; (c) "Lan'", 2000.
* Kluge N.J. 2010. Circumscriptional names of higher taxa in Hexapoda. // Bionomina, 1: 15–55. http://www.mapress.com/bionomina/content/2010/f/bn00001p055.pdf
External links
Kluge's PRINCIPLES OF NOMENCLATURE of ZOOLOGICAL TAXA
Biological classification