Biology 1201A Chapter Notes - Chapter 19: Genetic Drift, Somatic Cell, Allopatric Speciation
21 Nov 2016
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Species- a population of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. This definition does not work for species that reproduce asexuality, or those that hybridize. Taxonomy- the science that identifies, names, and classifies new species (linneaus) Binomial nomenclature- where a species is assigned a two part latinized name, a species name, or a binomial. The first part of the name identifies the genus (a group of species with similar characteristics, more general) The second part of the name is the specific epithet (provides a unique name) First letter of the generic name is always capitalized, in italicized font. The specific epithet is never used without the full or abbreviated genus. Naming of newly discovered species follows a formal process of publishing a description of the species in a scientific journal. Many binomials are descriptive of the organism or its habitat. Some are named with a sense of humor, or after notable biologists.
