species description

A species description is how an organism enters the scientific record. Until it is published, a plant or animal may be seen, collected or even photographed, but it has no accepted scientific name and cannot be counted among known species. When a researcher describes a new species, they publish a formal account that gives it a name and sets out the characters that distinguish it from its relatives.

For animals, the rules are set by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Under Article 13, a new name published after 1930 is only available if it comes with a description or definition that states in words the characters said to differentiate the taxon, or a reference to such a published statement. Article 11 adds that the name must be properly published and spelled in the Latin alphabet. The Code recommends that authors include a diagnosis, a summary of the features that separate the new species from similar ones.

The year a species was first described is recorded with its name, which is what allows researchers to count how many new species are described each year.