Table of Contents
Definition
A genus (plural: genera) is a taxonomic category in the biological classification, composed of species that have been classified together based on phylogenetic relatedness or common features, such as sharing similarities or specific characteristics. It is one of the eight taxons used to categorise living beings in biology. Similar to a genus, a family includes one or more genera. It is placed after the family and before the species. There may be one or multiple species within a genus.
They are italicised, for example, Homo sapiens, or underlined, if handwritten, Homo sapiens.
Classification System
The systematic categorisation of living organisms based on hierarchical structures, characteristics, or phylogenetic linkages is known as the classification of organisms. It is a key component of taxonomy. Domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species are the basic taxonomic levels. Taxonomically, a genus is ranked below the family level and above the species level.
Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist, is one of the most notable figures in developing a systematic taxonomy of organisms.
Binomial Nomenclature
It is the set of rules used to name an organism. Carl Linnaeus gave the binomial system of nomenclature. The genus is the first word in a scientific name of an organism when using binomial nomenclature. Italicisation and capitalisation are required for the genus name. For example, Panthera leo is the binomial name for the lion. Leo is the specific epithet, and the first component, Panthera, is the name of the genus.
Examples
Humans fall under the genus Homo, derived from the Latin word Homo (meaning “man”) and are a member of the Hominini tribe of the family Hominidae, order Primates, and class Mammalia. Bipedalism, an opposable thumb, a notochord that eventually gives way to a spinal column, birth, and mammary glands to feed the newborn are the salient characteristics of the human species, which belongs to the genus Homo.
Here is a list of the human species by genus (genus Homo). There are various species listed in this genus. But only one species—H. sapiens sapiens (modern)—remains in existence today.
- H. habilis
- H. erectus
- H. heidelbergensis
- H. neanderthalensis
- H. floresiensis
- H. sapiens sapiens (modern)
Uses
The generic name of a genus is also known as its scientific name (or scientific epithet), and in science and modern type manuals, it is always capitalised. It is essential to the binomial nomenclature, which combines the scientific name of a species with the process of naming living things.
The genus name can be used in the following fields:
- Usage in nomenclature
- The type concept
- Categorisation of generic name
- Homonyms (Identical names)
- Usage in higher classifications
Over time, the genus name can evolve and be replaced by another. This occurs whenever novel information is discovered. As a result, the previously accepted name is replaced with its synonym.
Genus vs Species
The species is considered the most fundamental category or unit in the biological classification system. Despite sharing the same genus, it’s usually not possible for organisms from distinct species to interbreed because the result would probably be infertile progeny. A group must have two individuals capable of producing viable offspring to be given a species status (by sexual reproduction).
The species is ranked lower than the genus. As a result, a genus has a more extensive reach than a species. The genus is lower in the taxonomic hierarchy than the family. Hence it is less inclusive than the family because it acts as a uniform umbrella for all closely linked genera.
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