MONOTYPIC

'Monotypic' is an adjective, that refers to a taxonomic group with only one type:

★ in botany it means that a taxon has only one species; ''Ginkgo'' is a monotypic genus, while ''Ginkgoaceae'' is a monotypic family. The phrase is not really accurate, as it assumes that a species includes only a single type. This is not necessarily the case as a species may include several subspecies (or other infraspecific taxa) each of which will have a type. A more accurate term is "unispecific".
:: An example is the genus ''Darlingtonia'', with only one species: ''Darlingtonia californica''.

★ in zoology "monotypic" refers to a taxon that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon.^[1] For example, a monotypic genus has only one species. Conversely, one can say that the contained taxon is monotypic within the larger taxon; a genus monotypic within a family.
:: An example is the genus ''Tarsius'' which is monotypic within the Tarsiidae family (which is itself monotypic in Tarsiiformes). An example of a monotypic species is the Hyacinth Macaw (''Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus'') which, discounting the nominate taxon, does not include any subordinate taxa (subspecies). On the contrary the Mealy Parrot (''Amazona farinosa'') is not a monotypic species, as it has several subordinate taxa (subspecies).

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Cited references

See also

Cited references

1. Mayr E, Ashlock PD. 1991. Principles of Systematic Zoology. Second Edition. Published by McGraw-Hill, inc. ISBN 0-07-041144-1.

See also

★ polytypic

★ race for a more detailed definition of 'monotypic' in the context of a species, and its relevance regarding the species ''Homo sapiens''