A holotype is one of several possible biological types. In biology a type is that which fixes a name to a Taxon. Depending on the nomenclature code which is applied to the organism in question a type may be a specimen A type is what fixes a name to a taxon. A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to be used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. A taxon (plural taxa) or taxonomic unit, is a name designating an organism or a group of Organisms In Biological nomenclature according to It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype.

For example, the holotype for the butterfly Lycaeides idas longinus is held by the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University, and the holotype for the extinct mammal Cimolodon is at the University of Alberta. A butterfly is an Insect of the order Lepidoptera. Like all Lepidoptera butterflies are notable for their unusual life cycle with a Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands Cimolodon is a genus of Mammal from the Upper Cretaceous of North America. The University of Alberta (U of A is a public research University located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

A holotype is not necessarily 'typical' of that taxon, although ideally it should be. Sometimes just a fragment of an organism is the holotype, for example in the case of a rare fossil. FOSSIL is a standard protocol for allowing serial communication for Telecommunications programs under the DOS Operating system. The holotype of Pelorosaurus humerocristatus, a large herbivore dinosaur from the early Jurassic period, is a fossil leg bone stored at the Natural History Museum in London. Herbivory is a form of Predation in which an Organism, known as a herbivore, consumes principally Autotrophs ref name=Campbell>Campbell The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Ma (million years ago to  Ma that is from the end of the Triassic to the beginning The Natural History Museum is one of three large Museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London (the others are the Science Museum London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Even under unusual circumstances a good quality photograph can be submitted as holotype. Even if a better specimen is subsequently found, the holotype is not superseded.

In the absence of a holotype (e. g. it was lost) another type may be selected, out of a range of different kinds of type, depending on the case. Note that in the ICBN and ICZN the definitions of types are similar in intent but not identical in terminology or underlying concept. The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature ( ICBN) is the set of rules and recommendations dealing with the formal Botanical names that are given to "ICZN" redirects here It is also sometimes used for the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature in error

For example in both the ICBN and the ICZN a "neotype" is a type that was later appointed in the absence of the original holotype. In biology a type is that which fixes a name to a Taxon. Depending on the nomenclature code which is applied to the organism in question a type may be a specimen Additionally, under the ICZN the Commission is empowered to replace a holotype with a "neotype", when the holotype turns out to lack important diagnostic features needed to distinguish the species from its close relatives. For example, the crocodile-like archosaurian reptile Parasuchus hislopi Lydekker, 1885 was described based on a premaxillary rostrum (part of the snout), but this is no longer sufficient to distinguish Parasuchus from its close relatives. Archosaurs ( Greek for 'ruling lizards' are a group of Diapsid Reptiles represented by Modern birds and Crocodilians This group also Richard Lydekker ( July 25, 1849 - April 16, 1915) was an English naturalist, Geologist and writer of numerous This article is about the Mammal maxilla For Arthropod maxillae see Mouthparts; for Insect maxillae in particular see Insect mouthparts This made the name Parasuchus hislopi a nomen dubium. In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium ( Latin for "doubtful name" plural nomina dubia) is a scientific name that is Texan paleontologist Sankar Chatterjee proposed that a new type specimen, a complete skeleton, be designated. Sankar Chatterjee is a paleontologist, and is the Paul W Horn Professor of Geosciences at Texas Tech University and Curator of Paleontology at the ^[1] The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature considered the case and agreed to replace the original type specimen with the proposed neotype. "ICZN" redirects here It is also sometimes used for the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature in error ^[2].

The procedures for the designation of a new type specimen when the original is lost come into play for some recent, high-profile species descriptions in which the specimen designated as the holotype was a living individual that was allowed to remain in the wild (e. g. ,^[3][4]). In such a case, there is no actual type specimen available for study, and the possibility exists that - should there be any perceived ambiguity in the identity of the species - subsequent authors can invoke various clauses in the ICZN Code that allow for the designation of a neotype. The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature is a set of rules in Zoology that have one fundamental aim to provide the maximum universality and continuity in the naming Remarkably, the Code explicitly states that the designation of a neotype must be based upon an actual physical specimen that is "the property of a recognized scientific or educational institution", but there is no such requirement for a holotype.

Under the ICBN, also, a replacement type could be appointed by such a procedure, but this would be called a "conserved type". However, a conserved type would not be appointed in the case of a type that is insufficiently clear: in that case an additional and clarifying type could be designated, a so-called "epitype". Great care must be used in speaking of types, as definitions are very precise.

See also

• biological type
• paratype (zoology)
• allotype

References

1. ^ Case 3165, Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 58:1, 30 March 2001. In biology a type is that which fixes a name to a Taxon. Depending on the nomenclature code which is applied to the organism in question a type may be a specimen Zoology In Zoological nomenclature, a paratype is officially defined as a "Each specimen of a type series other than the Holotype " In turn Zoology In Zoological nomenclature, a paratype is officially defined as a "Each specimen of a type series other than the Holotype " In turn Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar.
2. ^ Opinion 2045, Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 60:2, 30 June 2003. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.
3. ^ Mendes Pontes, A. R. , Malta A. and Asfora, P. H. 2006. A new species of capuchin monkey, genus Cebus Erxleben (Cebidae, Primates): found at the very brink of extinction in the Pernambuco Endemism Centre. Zootaxa 1200: 1-12.
4. ^ Sinha, A. ,Datta, A. , Madhusudan, M. D. and Mishra, C. (2004). "The Arunachal macaque Macaca munzala: a new species from western Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India". International Journal of Primatology volume: 26 issue: 977 pages: 989.

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