Paratype
- Pronunciation
- /PAIR-uh-type/
- Category
- Taxonomy
- Singular
- paratype
- Plural
- paratypes
Definition
In zoological , any specimen of the type series other than the , designated at the time of original description to help circumscribe the concept. Paratypes are part of the objective evidence for the and are typically deposited in permanent museum collections alongside the holotype. Unlike topotypes or later-collected vouchers, paratypes carry the same publication date and authority as the holotype and may be designated as lectotypes if the holotype is lost.
Etymology
Greek para- (beside, alongside) + type (impression, model), reflecting its role as supplementary to the
Example
When describing a new from a nest series, an entomologist designates one as the and registers the remaining workers and as paratypes in the institutional collection, ensuring future researchers can assess intracolony morphological variation.
Related Terms
Usage Notes
Paratypes are explicitly part of the original type series; specimens added later—even from the same locality—are vouchers, not paratypes. In modern practice, authors increasingly designate all specimens as paratypes or explicitly exclude some to reduce type-series bloat. The term does not apply in botany, where 'isotype' and 'paratype' have different technical meanings under the International Code of for , fungi, and plants. Not to be confused with the homonymic *Paratype* Felder, 1874 (Erebidae).