Type specimen
- Pronunciation
- /TAIP SPEH-sih-men/
- Category
- Taxonomy
- Singular
- type specimen
- Plural
- type specimens
Definition
A preserved individual organism that formally anchors the of a , serving as the objective reference for identifying and comparing other specimens. The type specimen need not be morphologically 'typical' of the ; its function is nomenclatural rather than statistical. In species-level , the type specimen is the name-bearing specimen (onomatophore) to which the species epithet is permanently attached. Primary types include the (single name-bearing specimen designated at description), syntypes (series of specimens collectively serving as type when no holotype was chosen), lectotype (subsequently selected from syntypes to serve as sole name-bearer), and neotype (replacement designated when all original types are lost). are supplementary specimens cited with the holotype but lack name-bearing status.
Etymology
From Latin typus (mark, model) + specimen (indication, example), reflecting its role as the physical instantiation of a taxonomic name.
Example
The of the extinct Lord Howe Island Dryococelus australis is preserved at the Natural History Museum, London; when a small surviving was rediscovered in 2001, those living specimens were compared against this 19th-century type specimen to confirm specific identity.
Synonyms
- onomatophore
- name-bearing specimen
Related Terms
- Holotype
- lectotype
- syntype
- Paratype
- neotype
- Genotype
- type locality
- type series
- voucher specimen
- Binomial nomenclature
Usage Notes
Distinguish carefully between 'type' as nomenclatural anchor and 'typical' as morphologically representative—type specimens are often atypical (e.g., , damaged, or extreme individuals). The term applies to all ranks: have type specimens, have type species, and have type genera. In , type specimens are typically deposited in permanent museum collections with unique catalog numbers; their accessibility is governed by institutional loan policies. When original type material is inadequate (e.g., missing diagnostic characters), taxonomists may petition to designate a neotype, following strict ICZN or ICN procedures.