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Each species* of animal is given a unique name by a scientist. It is a long and complicated process that is called describing a new species. Once a species is given a scientific name it is described or named.
If a group of animals is discovered that might be a news species, a scientist must prove that the species has not been described. These animals are compared with specimens of named species. The Queensland Museum’s Centre of Biodiversity has enormous collection of named specimens. The scientist will also search scientific papers for descriptions of related species.
Once the scientist is convinced that it is a new species, he/she will write a scientific paper describing the new species. A specimen is chosen from this new group of animals and this is designated as the holotype. The holoype becomes the standard for the species.
The scientist will give the new species a scientific name.
The name has two parts:
The generic name: this name comes first and starts with a capital letter. All animals that share the same generic name are more closely related to each other than they are to any other animal. It is a bit like your family name.
The species name: this name comes second and does not start with a capital letter.
The name is usually written in Latin or Greek and when translated describes something about the animal.
The scientific name for the Red Kangaroo is Macropus rufus.
Macro means large; pus means foot; rufus means red.
Sometimes a person is honoured (and it could be you) by naming the animal after him/her. The scientific name of Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo is Dendrolagus lumholtzi. Dendro means tree; lagos means hare; Lumholtz was the first European to capture the Tree Kangaroo.
If the person after whom the animal is being named is male – i, -ii, -iana is added to the person’s name or –ae, or iae if the person is a female. Lumholtz was a man.
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