Type Specimen
Definition
The actual specimen on which the original scientific description of a species was based. Held in a herbarium, it is the reference standard against which disputed identifications are ultimately measured.
- Function
- Reference standard for a species' original description
- Storage
- Herbarium (or equivalent museum collection)
- Role in disputes
- Final arbiter of disputed identifications
Common questions
Why does a forensic botanist consult a type specimen rather than a field guide when identification is contested?+
A field guide illustration is an interpretation, but the type specimen is the physical material the species name was formally attached to, so when two experts disagree on identity the type specimen is the only object that settles which name legitimately applies.
What happens if a type specimen is lost or damaged?+
A taxonomist may designate a neotype from surviving comparable material following the applicable nomenclature code, but until that is done identification disputes involving that species lack a definitive physical reference.
Related terms
- Binomial Nomenclature
- The two-part Latin naming system established by Linnaeus: genus name followed by species epithet. Used in all scientific and forensic botanical reports...
- Dichotomous Key
- A botanical identification tool presenting paired contrasting descriptions at each step. The user selects the description matching the specimen and follows the...
- Flora
- A systematic account of all plant species in a defined geographic area, with identification keys, descriptions, and distribution information. Examples include Flora...
- Monograph
- A taxonomic treatment of a single genus or family across its entire global range, providing more depth than a regional flora on...
- Taxon
- Any named group in the classification hierarchy, from kingdom to subspecies. In forensic botany the most relevant levels are family, genus, and...