taxonomy image:Hierarchical clustering diagram.png, 280px, Generalized scheme of taxonomy Taxonomy is a practice and science concerned with classification or categorization. Typically, there are two parts to it: the development of an underlying scheme o ...

, a superseded combination is a notice of change to the

binomial nomenclature In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, altho ...

of the accepted name of a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

. This happens when a species is moved to a new

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

after the initial

species description A species description is a formal scientific description of a newly encountered species, typically articulated through a scientific publication. Its purpose is to provide a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it diff ...

. The original name is called a superseded combination, and the new name is called the

new combination In Taxonomy (biology), biological taxonomy, a combinatio nova (abbreviated comb. nov. or n. comb.) refers to the formal renaming of an organism's scientific name when it is transferred to a different genus, reclassified within a different specie ...

, or . Some but not all superseded combinations are

basionym In the scientific name of organisms, basionym or basyonym means the original name on which a new name is based; the author citation of the new name should include the authors of the basionym in parentheses. The term "basionym" is used in both botan ...

s, and some basionyms are not superseded combinations. In zoological nomenclature, the superseded combination is not the same as a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...

and technically should not be called one. If the species is moved again to a third genus, both of the older names are considered superseded combinations. The original name is the superseded original combination and the second name is the superseded recombination. If the species were moved back to a previous genus, the

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) is an organization dedicated to "achieving stability and sense in the scientific naming of animals". Founded in 1895, it currently comprises 26 commissioners from 20 countries. Orga ...

would not consider the current name to be a new combination. The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

is kept in all these name changes, with perhaps some modification of the suffix to harmonize with the genus name. For example, in 1766

Peter Simon Pallas Peter Simon Pallas Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS FRSE (22 September 1741 – 8 September 1811) was a Prussia, Prussian zoologist, botanist, Ethnography, ethnographer, Exploration, explorer, Geography, geographer, Geology, geologist, Natura ...

described a new species of marine

polychaete Polychaeta () is a paraphyletic class of generally marine Annelid, annelid worms, common name, commonly called bristle worms or polychaetes (). Each body segment has a pair of fleshy protrusions called parapodia that bear many bristles, called c ...

worm he called '' Aphrodita flava''. In 1867, that name became a superseded (original) combination when

Hjalmar Kinberg Johan Gustaf Hjalmar Kinberg (13 May 1820 – 29 August 1908) was a Swedish zoologist, physician and veterinarian who was born in Grönby, near Trelleborg, Skåne County and who died in St. Matthew's Parish, Stockholm. Family Hjalmar Kinberg's ...

moved the species to '' Thesmia'', creating the new combination ''Thesmia flava''. The genus ''Thesmia'' was later synonymized with '' Chloeia'',Read, G.; Fauchald, K. (Ed.) (2024). World Polychaeta Database. ''Thesmia'' Kinberg, 1867. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=326050 on 2024-07-08 creating a new combination of ''

Chloeia flava ''Chloeia flava'', also known as the golden fireworm, is a segmented bristleworm belonging to the Family (biology), family Amphinomidae. Description The golden fireworm has an elongated body. Its size varies between long, and between wide, exc ...

''Read, G.; Fauchald, K. (Ed.) (2024). World Polychaeta Database. ''Chloeia flava'' (Pallas, 1766). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=209687 on 2024-07-08 ''Aphrodita flava'' is the superseded original combination, ''Thesmia flava'' is the superseded subsequent recombination, and the current name ''Chloeia flava'' is the new combination.

References

{{Reflist Botanical nomenclature Zoological nomenclature