Research
Scientists anchor first scientific animal name to a modern-day spider
Phys.org ·
The Brief
- Scientists led by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History designated a new type specimen (neotype) for Araneus, restoring its physical reference.
- The work was published in the journal Taxonomy.
- The name Araneus is described as one of the most historically significant names in biology, tied to the first scientific animal name.
Why it matters
Type specimens anchor how animal names are applied, so a fixed physical reference for Araneus helps taxonomists consistently identify the spider genus the name refers to.
Who’s affected
- taxonomists and systematic biologists
- arachnologists
- #taxonomy
- #spiders
- #nomenclature
- #neotype
- #biodiversity
Scientists led by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History have restored the physical reference of one of the most historically significant names in biology. In a paper published in Taxonomy, researchers designated a new type specimen, or neotype, for Araneus…
Timeline
Biology News - Evolution, Cell theory, Gene theory, Microbiology, Biotechnology
Scientists anchor first scientific animal name to a modern-day spider
Biology News report on the Smithsonian-led neotype designation for Araneus published in Taxonomy