Species
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English
Etymology
Latin: species view; appearance; vision; dream; semblance <specere to see + -ies suffix signifying abstract noun
Noun
species (Plural: species)
- A group of objects having similar appearance
- This species of rock is unique to the area
- Pigeons and ducks are two species of birds.
- A well-differentiated form of organism, more distinct than a variety
- Hence, in determining whether a form should be ranked as a species or a variety, the opinion of naturalists having sound judgment and wide experience seems the only guide to follow. -- Darwin, On the Origin of Species
- A well-differentiated clade whose members are similar
- Taxonomy The major subset of a genus. Organisms are grouped within a species because they have similar genotypes and phenotypes, their genetic sequences are almost identical, or other evidence such as the fossil record points to recent common ancestry. Organisms which reproduce sexually are also grouped together if they are capable of producing fertile offspring with one another through sex.
- Note: A specific species is referred to by its genus and species in italics with the genus name capitalized (e.g. The cougar is in the genus Felis and the species concolor, so its scientific name is Felis concolor).
Related Terms
- speciate
- speciation
- specious
- ring species
- subspecies
- specie
- specific
Translations
- Chinese: 種 / 种, 類 / 类, 種類 / 种类
- Dutch: soort f
- Finnish: laji, eläinlaji (animal species)
- French: espèce f
- German: Art f, Spezies f
- Indonesian: spesies, jenis
- Interlingua: specie
- Italian: specie f, (plural: speci)
- Japanese: 種 (しゅ, shu), 類 (るい, rui), 種類 (しゅるい, shurui)
- Lithuanian: rūšis f
- Polish: gatunek m
- Portuguese: espécie f
- Romanian: specie f
- Swedish: art c
