A naming system is essential in distinguishing and communicating about specific life forms in the Earth’s biosphere. Nomenclature means selecting a name; biological nomenclature means selecting a name for a
biological entity.
Binomial nomenclature means a “two-term naming system,” also called binominal nomenclature, meaning “two-name naming system,” or binary nomenclature, a naming convention developed initially by Carolus Linnaeus in the eighteenth century – vastly different from Darwin’s naming system (pictured left).
As the number of new species identified dramatically increased through the twentieth century, so did the naming and grouping of organisms; however, without a standardized naming process. Inconsistent naming emerged as a problem.
The need for naming governance emerged. From the nineteenth century onwards, numerous initiatives sought to set rules worldwide. However, acceptance and compliance issues remained. In 1985, the International Union of Biological Science (IUBS) launched initiatives to harmonize the naming process.
Nomenclature codes govern the naming process. The first part of the name – the generic name – identifies the genus to which the species belongs, whereas the second part – the specific name or epithet – distinguishes the species within the genus.
By the twenty-first century, new organizations have continued to emerge to address the complexity of the naming process for the diversity of Earth’s biosphere. The current naming organizations include –
Algae, Fungi and Plants – International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN), which in July 2011 replaced the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) and the earlier International Rules of Botanical Nomenclature.
Animals – International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN)
Bacteria and Archaea – International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP), which in 2008 replaced the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria (ICNB)
Bacteria and Archaea described from sequence data – Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes Described from Sequence Data (SeqCode)
Cultivated plants – International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP)
Plant associations – International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (ICPN)
Viruses – The International Code of Virus Classification and Nomenclature (ICVCN); see also virus classification
International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV)
Refer to the Glossary for the definition of terms and to Understanding Evolution for insights into why the understanding of evolution varies widely.
