Rules of Nomenclature

Scientific naming functions as a universal system only because it follows a strict, internationally agreed rulebook — for animals, the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). This section lists the specific rules a valid zoological name must satisfy.

Formatting: the scientific name must be italicised in print, and if handwritten, the genus and species should be underlined separately rather than with one continuous line. Capitalisation: the first letter of the generic name must be uppercase, while the specific (species) name must be written entirely in lowercase, even when derived from a person's name. Uniqueness: the scientific names of any two different organisms must never be the same — each name is reserved uniquely for one organism, which is what makes it function as an unambiguous universal identifier. Authorship: the name or standard abbreviation of the scientist who first validly published the species description may be added after the species name along with the year of publication — for example, the lion is written Felis leo Linn., 1758, or Felis leo L., 1758. Eponym suffix: whe …