Scientific / Latin Names
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Posted by Rosemary Drisdelle Jan 9, 2008 |
Inermicapsifer madagascariensis. It’s the most beautiful scientific name I’ve ever come across. I’ve no idea what the genus name means, but clearly the species name indicates a relationship to Madagascar. Inermicapsifer madagascariensis (can you say it?) is a parasitic tapeworm, but one we needn’t worry about too much. Then there’s Diphyllobothrium latum, a more common tapeworm. For this one I understand the genus name: di means two, phyllo means leaf-like (like phyllo pastry), and bothria are grooves, so the name means “two grooves on a leaf-like structure”—the worm’s scolex, or head. Obviously I would find scientific names a lot more interesting if I were fluent in Latin and Greek.
The idea behind scientific, or Latin, names is that everyone everywhere can refer to species by exactly the same name, no matter what language they speak. Of course the system isn’t perfect. Diphyllobothrium latum has been called Taenia lata, Bothriocephalus latus, Dibothriocephalus latus, Bothriocephalus taenioides, and Dibothriocephalus minor. It’s no exception: many species have left a similar trail of names behind them. Even today, a scientific name can change if scientists determine that a species has been placed in the wrong group. It’s unavoidable.
Nevertheless, the system is useful once you understand how it works—the scientific name, if you know it, is often the fastest way to get information about a species from the scientific literature. And if you use them often enough, Latin names don’t sound so odd. You may even find them beautiful—like Inermicapsifer madagascariensis.
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