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Genus (/ ˈ dʒ iː n ə s /; pl.: genera / ˈ dʒ ɛ n ər ə /) 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.
The basic ranks are species and genus. When an organism is given a species name it is assigned to a genus, and the genus name is part of the species name. The species name is also called a binomial, that is, a two-term name. For example, the zoological name for the human species is Homo sapiens. This is usually italicized in print or underlined ...
Examples Search for titles containing the word or using the prefix: pachy-G παχύς (pakhús) thick, stout: Pachycephalosaurus: palaemon: G Παλαίμων (Palaímōn) Palaemon, a sea god whose name means "wrestler" Palaemon, crustacean genus; chequered skipper, Carterocephalus palaemon Palaemonias, Palaemonella and Palaemonetes, shrimp ...
The first part of the name – the generic name – identifies the genus to which the species belongs, whereas the second part – the specific name or specific epithet – distinguishes the species within the genus. For example, modern humans belong to the genus Homo and within this genus to the species Homo sapiens.
Systematic biology (hereafter called simply systematics) is the field that (a) provides scientific names for organisms, (b) describes them, (c) preserves collections of them, (d) provides classifications for the organisms, keys for their identification, and data on their distributions, (e) investigates their evolutionary histories, and (f ...
Accordingly, Linnaeus's classification treats animal as a class including many genera (subordinated to the animal "kingdom" via intermediary classes such as "orders"), and treats homo as the genus of a species Homo sapiens, with sapiens (Latin for "knowing" or "understanding") playing a differentiating role analogous to that played, in the ...
There are currently 1,258 genera, 161 families, 27 orders, and around 5,937 recognized living species of mammal. [1] Mammalian taxonomy is in constant flux as many new species are described and recategorized within their respective genera and families.
For example, the scientific name for humans is Homo sapiens, which is the species name, consisting of two names: Homo is the "generic name" (the name of the genus) and sapiens is the "specific name". Historically, specific name referred to the combination of what are now called the generic and specific names.