| Thus, a published holotype description becomes the
official description of a new species,
but the type specimen remains available to extend or modify that
description in the future if it become necessary. The holotype plant is conserved
(a process called curation) typically dried and kept in an
herbarium.
Biological collections are maintained by universities and museums.
If more than one specimen was used to describe the species, then the
other specimens apart from the holotype are called
paratypes, although there is
sometimes a risk that a paratype
is not in fact of the same species as the holotype but a very similar
one and so the description may not be accurate.
There are many terms used to describe other example
specimens of a species called
biological types:
• Paratype, A biological specimen
other than the holotype used for the development of the original
description.
• Isotype, A duplicate specimen of
the holotype collected in the same place and time.
• Allotype a comparative specimen
of the opposite sex to the holotype
• Neotype a substitute specimen
selected if the holotype was destroyed or otherwise lost
• Isoneotype a duplicate
of the neotype
• Syntypes. two or more specimens
describing of a new species when the author did not select a
holotype.
•
Isosyntypes
duplicates of a syntype.
• Lectotype One single specimen
later selected from the syntypes as the definitive type example
• Paralectotypes After the
definitive chosen of the lectotype the remainder syntypes become
paralectotypes.
• Epitype A
later specimen used as an interpretative type when the
holotype,
lectotype, or
neotype, is
ambiguous. |