In
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (
taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
is one that does not include
subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispecific" or "monospecific" is sometimes preferred. In
botanical nomenclature, a monotypic genus is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
in the special case where a genus and a single species are simultaneously described. In contrast, an oligotypic taxon contains more than one but only a very few subordinate taxa.
Examples
Just as the term ''monotypic'' is used to describe a taxon including only one subdivision, the contained taxon can also be referred to as monotypic within the higher-level taxon, e.g. a genus monotypic within a family. Some examples of monotypic groups are:
Plants
* In the
order Amborellales, there is only one
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
, Amborellaceae and there is only one genus, ''
Amborella'', and in this genus there is only one species, namely ''Amborella trichopoda.''
* The flowering plant ''Breonadia salicina'' is the only species in the monotypic genus ''
Breonadia
''Breonadia'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It was described by in 1975. The genus contains only one species, viz. ''Breonadia salicina'', which is found in tropical and southern Africa from Mali and Benin east ...
''.
* The family Cephalotaceae includes only one genus, ''
Cephalotus
''Cephalotus'' ( or ; Greek: ''κεφαλή'' "head", and ''οὔς''/''ὠτός'' "ear", to describe the head of the anthers) is a genus which contains one species, ''Cephalotus follicularis'' the Albany pitcher plant, a small carnivorous pi ...
'', and only one species, ''Cephalotus follicularis'' – the Albany pitcher plant.
* The
division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
Ginkgophyta
Ginkgoales are a gymnosperm order containing only one extant species: ''Ginkgo biloba'', the ginkgo tree. It is monotypic, (the only taxon) within the class Ginkgoopsida, which itself is monotypic within the division Ginkgophyta . The order inclu ...
is monotypic, containing the single class Ginkgoopsida. This class is also monotypic, containing the single order Ginkgoales.
* Flowering plant ''Nandina domestica'' is the only species in the genus ''
Nandina
''Nandina domestica'' ( ) commonly known as nandina, heavenly bamboo or sacred bamboo, is a species of flowering plant in the family Berberidaceae, native to eastern Asia from the Himalayas to Japan. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ...
''.
* It is today generally accepted that
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...
(''Cannabis sativa'') is a monospecific genus.
Animals
*The
madrone butterfly is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Eucheira''. However, there are two subspecies of this
butterfly, ''E. socialis socialis'' and ''E. socialis westwoodi'', which means the species ''E. socialis'' is not monotypic.
*
''Delphinapterus leucas'' or the beluga whale is the only member of its genus and lacks subspecies.
*''Dugong dugong''is the only species in the monotypic genus ''
Dugong
The dugong (; ''Dugong dugon'') is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest m ...
''.
*
''Homo sapiens'' (humans) are monotypic, as they have too little
genetic diversity to harbor any living
subspecies.
*The
narwhal is a medium sized
cetacean that is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Monodon''.
*The
platypus
The platypus (''Ornithorhynchus anatinus''), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative or mono ...
is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Ornithorhynchus''.
* ''Ozichthys albimaculosus'', the cream-spotted cardinalfish, found in tropical Australia and southern New Guinea, is the type species of the monotypic genus ''
Ozichthys''.
* The
bearded reedling is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Panurus'', which is the only genus in the monotypic family Panuridae.
kissing
A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
” a human trainer; both are monotypical in their genera.
File:Cephalotus follicularis Hennern 3 (cropped).jpg, The family Cephalotaceae has only one genus, ''Cephalotus'', which contains only one species, ''Cephalotus follicularis'', the Australian pitcher plant.
See also
*
Glossary of scientific naming
This is a list of terms and symbols used in scientific names for organisms, and in describing the names. For proper parts of the names themselves, see List of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names. Note that many of the abbrevi ...
*
Monophyly
In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monotypic Taxon
Conservation biology
Speciation