English

Etymology

Latin: species view; appearance; vision; dream; semblance specere to see + -ies suffix signifying abstract noun

Noun

species, plural species

1. A group of objects having similar appearance

   This species of rock is unique to the area

   Pigeons and ducks are two species of birds.

2. A well-differentiated form of organism, more distinct than a variety

   Hence, in determining whether a form should be ranked as a species or a variety, the opinion of naturalists having sound judgment and wide experience seems the only guide to follow. -- Darwin, On the Origin of Species

3. A well-differentiated clade whose members are similar
4. (taxonomy) The major subset of a genus, containing organisms with similar genotypes and phenotypes, nearly identical genetic sequences , or recent common ancestry as indicated in the fossil record
5. (taxonomy) Among organisms which reproduce sexually , a group capable of producing fertile offspring with one another through sex.

Note

A specific species is referred to by its genus and species in italics with the genus name capitalized (e.g. The cougar is in the genus Felis and the species concolor, so its scientific name is Felis concolor).

Related Terms

• speciate
• speciation
• specious
• ring species
• subspecies
• specie
• specific

Translations

• Chinese: 種 / 种, 類 / 类, 種類 / 种类
• Dutch: soort f
• Finnish: laji , eläinlaji (animal species)
• French: espèce f
• German: Art f, Spezies f
• Indonesian: spesies , jenis
• Interlingua: specie
• Italian: specie f, (plural: speci )
• Japanese: 種 (しゅ, shu), 類 (るい , rui), 種類 (しゅるい , shurui)
• Lithuanian: rūšis f
• Polish: gatunek m
• Portuguese: espécie f
• Romanian: specie f
• Swedish: art c

See also

• family
• genus
• kingdom
• order
• phylum
• race
• variety
• binomial nomenclature