GSC Guide to Authors

allotype A specimen of the opposite sex to the holotype, designated from among paratypes (not regulated by ICBN or ICZN)

binomen or binomial name The combination of two names, the first the generic and the second the species or trivial, that constitute the scientific name of a species (pl. binomina)

CAI Colour Alteration Index (conodonts); plural, Colour Alteration Index values (i.e. not indices)

diagnosis A statement of those attributes of a specimen or taxon that separate it from others

(ICZN) any intentional change in the original spelling of an available name
(ICBN) an alteration of the diagnostic characters or circumscription of a taxon, without the exclusion of the type

epitype (ICBN) a specimen selected as an interpretive type when the type material is demonstrably ambiguous

(Zoological) an illustrated specimen that has been assigned with some degree of uncertainty to a formal species, e.g. Atrypa sp., A. reticularis? A. sp. cf. A. reticularis (therefore, there are no type specimens)
(Botanical) any illustrated specimen that is not a type specimen

(ICZN) the single specimen that was designated by the author as the name-bearer of a species or subspecies when it was established, or the single specimen on which the taxon was based when no type was specified
(ICBN) the one specimen or illustration used by, or designated by, the author of a species or infraspecific taxon as the nomenclatural type

homonyms Names that have the same spelling, but that refer to two or more different taxa; 'senior homonym' and 'junior homonym' apply, respectively, to the first, and all later published homonyms

hypotype a subsequently described, listed, or figured specimen of a taxon, other than the holotype or paratypes

isotype (ICBN) a duplicate of the holotype (i.e. part of a single gathering made by a collector at one time)

(ICZN) a syntype that is designated as the single name-bearing type specimen after the establishment of a species or subspecies
(ICBN) a specimen or illustration selected from the original material to be the nomenclatural type when the holotype is missing or was not designated at the time of publication

name-bearing type The type genus, type species, holotype, or other type specimen(s), or type slide, that determines the application of a particular name

(ICZN) a specimen subsequently designated as the name-bearing type of a species or subspecies for which, it is believed, there no longer exists a holotype, lectotype, syntype(s), or prior neotype (i.e. type lost or destroyed)
(ICBN) a specimen or illustration designated as the name-bearing type as long as all of the material on which the taxon is based is missing

paralectotype (ICZN) each specimen of a former syntype series that remains after the lectotype has been designated

(ICZN) a specimen of the type series as originally designated, apart from the holotype
(ICBN) a specimen or illustration cited at the time of original publication, that is neither the holotype nor isotype, nor one of the syntypes

rank The level at which a taxon lies in the zoological or botanical hierarchy (e.g. all families are at the same rank, which lies between subfamily and superfamily)

synonym One of two or more scientific names applied to the same taxon; 'senior synonym' and 'junior synonym' apply, respectively, to the first, and all later published synonyms

(ICZN) a specimen of a type series from which neither a holotype nor a lectotype has been designated
(ICBN) any one of two or more specimens cited by the author when no holotype was designated

TAI Thermal Alteration Index (palynomorphs, etc.); plural (for each kind of palynomorphs, e.g. spores), Thermal Alteration Index values (i.e. not indices)

topotype A term, not regulated by the ICBN or ICZN, for a specimen that was found at the type locality of species or subspecies to which it is thought to belong, whether or not the specimen belongs to the type series

trinomen or trinomial name The combination of three names, the first two being the binomen, the third being the scientific name of the infraspecific taxon, e.g. subspecies (pl. trinomina)

type genus (ICZN) the genus that is the name-bearing type of a family-group taxon

type horizon The stratigraphic horizon from which the name-bearing type of a taxon was collected

type locality The geographic and stratigraphic place where the name-bearing type of a species or subspecies was collected

type series The series of specimens that either constitutes the name-bearing type (syntypes) of a taxon, or from which the name-bearing type may be designated

type species (ICZN) the species that is the name-bearing type of a genus or subgenus. (In contrast, according to the ICBN the type of a genus or subgenus is a specimen.)