Binomial Names
§Binomial nomenclature is the formal way of identifying species
§Named species have a two part name, with a genus and species descriptor
§First is the “generic” name (based on the Latin word genus, meaning birth or origin)
§A “genus” is made up of closely related animals (or
plants)
§The second name is the “specific”, which names the species in that group
§Generic names should be nouns, and the specific an adjective