List of commonly used taxonomic affixes information
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This is a list of common affixes used when scientifically naming species, particularly extinct species for whom only their scientific names are used, along with their derivations.
Contents
A B C D E F G H I L M N O P R S T U V X Z
See also
a-, an-: Pronunciation: /ə/, /a/, /ən/, /an/. Origin: Ancient Greek: ἀ-, ἀν- (a, an-). Meaning: a prefix used to make words with a sense opposite to that of the root word; in this case, meaning "without" or "-less". This is usually used to describe organisms without a certain characteristic, as well as organisms in which that characteristic may not be immediately obvious.
archaeo-: Pronunciation: /arkiːɒ/, /arkiːoʊ/ . Origin: Ancient Greek: ἀρχαῖος (arkhaîos). Meaning: ancient. Used for early versions of animals and plants.
aspido-, -aspis: Pronunciation: /əspɪdoʊ/, /əspɪs/. Origin: Ancient Greek: ἀσπίς (aspís). Meaning: shield. The suffix "-aspis" is used to describe armored fish.
Examples: Aspidochelone ("shield turtle"); Cephalaspis ("head shield"); Sacabambaspis ("shield from Sacabamba"); Brindabellaspis ("shield from the Brindabella Ranges")
brachi-, brachy-: pronunciation: /brækɪ/. Origin: Ancient Greek: βραχύς, βραχίων (brakhús, brakhíōn). Meaning: short, and the short part of the arm, or upper arm, respectively. Used in its original meaning, and also to mean "arm".
carcharo-: Pronunciation: /kərkæro/. Origin: Ancient Greek: κάρχαρος (kárkharos). Meaning: sharp, jagged; extended via Ancient Greek: καρχαρίας (karkharías) to mean "shark".
-ceras, cerat-, -ceratus: Pronunciation: /sɛrəs/, /sɛrət/, /sɛrətəs/. Origin: Ancient Greek: κέρας (kéras). Meaning: horn. Used for many horned animals, but most notably ceratopsians.
cetio-, -cetus: Pronunciation: /sɛtɪoʊ/, /siːtəs/. Origin: Ancient Greek κῆτος (kētos). Meaning: sea-monster. The suffix "-cetus" is used for whales or whale ancestors, while the prefix "cetio-" is used for whale-like or large animals.
Examples: Peregocetus ("travelling whale"); Cetiosaurus ("whale lizard"); Ambulocetus ("walking whale"); Pakicetus ("whale from Pakistan"), "Perucetus" ("whale from Peru")
-cheirus: Pronunciation: /kaɪrəs/. Origin: Ancient Greek: χείρ (kheír). Meaning: hand.
dino-, deino-: Pronunciation: /daɪnoʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek: δεινός (deinós). Meaning: "terrible", "formidable". Used for presumably fearfully large or dangerous animals or animal parts.
-erpeton: Pronunciation: /ɜrpətɒn/. Origin: Ancient Greek: ἑρπετόν (herpetón). Meaning: reptile (literally, "creeping thing"); used for amphibians.
Examples: Hynerpeton ("creeper from Hyner"); Greererpeton ("creeper from Greer"); Arizonerpeton ("creeper from Arizona"); Albanerpeton ("creeper of La Grive Saint Alban")
eu-: Pronunciation: /iːu̟/. Origin: Ancient Greek: εὖ (eû). Meaning: "good", "well"; also extended via Neo-Latin to mean "true". Used in a variety of ways, often to indicate well-preserved specimens, well-developed bones, "truer" examples of fossil forms, or simply admiration on the part of the discoverer.
Examples: Euparkeria ("good one of Parker's"); Euhelopus ("good marsh foot"); Eustreptospondylus ("well-curved vertebrae"); Eucoelophysis ("truly hollow form")
-felis: Pronunciation: /fiːlɪs/. Origin: Latin: felis, feles. Meaning: cat. "Felis" alone is the genus name for the group that includes the domestic cat.
-form, -formes: Pronunciation: /foʊrm/, /foʊrms/. Origin: Latin: forma. Meaning: shape, form. Used for large groups of animals that share similar characteristics; also used in names of bird and fish orders.
giga-, gigant-, giganto-: Pronunciation: /d͡ʒaɪgə/, /d͡ʒaɪgænt/, /d͡ʒaɪgæntoʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek: γίγας, γῐ́γᾰντος (gígas, gigantos). Meaning: giant, of a giant, respectively. Used for large species.
ichthyo-, -ichthys: Pronunciation: /ɪkθioʊs/, /ɪkθis/. Origin: Ancient Greek: ἰχθῦς (ikhthûs). Meaning: fish. The suffix "-ichthys" is used for fish, while the prefix "ichthyo-", while used for fish, is also used for fish-like creatures.
Examples: Ichthyosaurus ("fish lizard"); Leedsichthys ("fish from Leeds"); Haikouichthys ("fish from Haikou"); Ichthyostega ("fish roof")
-lania, Pronunciation: /læniːə/, Origin: Ancient Greek: ἀλαίνειν (alaínein): Meaning: to wander. Used for animals that are found in most places around continents.
long: Pronunciation: /lʊng/. Origin: simplified Chinese: 龙; traditional Chinese: 龍. Meaning: dragon. Used for dinosaur finds in China.
Examples: Mei long ("sleeping dragon"); Bolong ("small dragon"); Zuolong ("dragon of Zuo"); Shaochilong ("shark toothed dragon")
-lopho-, -lophus: Pronunciation: /lɒfoʊ/, /ləfəs/. Origin: Ancient Greek: λόφος (lóphos). Meaning: A bird's crest. Used for animals with crests on their heads.
-maia, maia-: Pronunciation: /meiə/ Origin: Ancient Greek: Μαῖα (Maîa). Meaning: Originally the mother of Hermes in Greek mythology and the goddess of growth in Roman mythology, alternatively spelled Maja. Frequently used to indicate maternal roles, this word should not be construed as translating directly to "mother" (Latin māter; Ancient Greek μήτηρ mḗtēr); aside from being a proper name, in Ancient Greek "maîa" can translate to "midwife" or "foster mother" and was used as an honorific address for older women, typically translated into English as "Good Mother".
-monas, -monad: Pronunciation: /moʊnas/, /monas/, /moʊnad/, /monad/. Origin: Ancient Greek: μονάς (monás). Meaning: unit. Used for single-celled organisms.
-morph: Pronunciation: /moʊrf/. Origin: Ancient Greek: μορφή (morphḗ). Meaning: form, shape. Used for large groups of animals which share a common genetic lineage
-oides, -odes: Pronunciation: /oiːdiːz/, /oʊːdiːz/. Origin: Ancient Greek: εἶδος (eîdos). Meaning: likeness. Used for species that resemble other species.
-ornis, ornith-, ornitho-: Pronunciation: /oʊ̯rnɪs/, /oʊ̯rnɪθ/, /oʊ̯rnɪθoʊ̯/. Origin: Ancient Greek: ὄρνις, ὄρνιθος (órnis, órnithos). Meaning: bird, of a bird respectively. "ornith-" and "ornitho-" are generally used for animals with birdlike characteristics; the suffix "-ornis" is generally applied to fossil bird species.
Examples: ornithischian ("bird-hipped"); Ornithocheirus ("bird-hand"); Eoconfuciusornis ("dawn bird of Confucius")
pachy-: Pronunciation: /pæki/ Origin: Ancient Greek: παχύς (pakhús). Meaning: thick.
-pelta: Pronunciation: /pɛltə:/ Origin: Ancient Greek: πέλτη (péltē). Meaning: shield. Frequently used for ankylosaurs.
Examples: Sauropelta ("lizard shield"); Dracopelta ("dragon shield"); Cedarpelta ("shield from the Cedar Mountains")
-philus, -phila, philo-: Pronunciation: /fiːləs/, /fiːlə/, /fiːloʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek: φίλος (phílos). Meaning: dear, beloved, loving. Used for organisms perceived as having a fondness for a particular thing.
plesio-, plesi-: Pronunciation: /pliːziːoʊ/, /pliːz/ (or pliːʒ/). Origin: Ancient Greek πλησίον (plēsíon). Meaning: near. Used for species that bear similarities to other species.
pro-, protero-: pronunciation: /proʊ̯/, /proʊ̯tεroʊ̯/. Origin: Ancient Greek πρό, πρότερος (pró, próteros). Meaning: before. Usually used for ancestral forms.
psittaco-, -psitta: Pronunciation: /sitɑːkoʊ/, /psitə/. Origin: Ancient Greek ψιττακός (psittakós). Meaning: parrot. "Psittaco-" is used for parrot-like creatures, while the suffix "psitta" is used for parrots.
pter-, ptero-, -pterus, pteryg-, -ptera, -pteryx. Pronunciation: /ter/, /teroʊ/, /pterəs/, /terɪg/, /pterɪx/. Origin: Ancient Greek πτέρυξ, πτέρυγος (pterux, ptérugos). Meaning: wing, of a wing, respectively. Used for many winged creatures, but also expanded to mean "fin", and used for many undersea arthropods. The suffix "-ptera" is also used in orders of winged insects.
-raptor, raptor-: Pronunciation: /ræptər/. Origin: Latin raptor. Meaning: "robber, thief". Frequently used for dromaeosaurids or similar animals. The term "raptor" by itself may also be used for a dromeosaurid, a Velociraptor, or originally, a bird of prey.
rhodo-: Pronunciation: /roʊdoʊ/, /rodoʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek ῥόδον (rhódon). Meaning: "rose". Used for red-colored or otherwise rose-like organisms.
sarco-: Pronunciation: /sɑːrkʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek σάρξ (sárx). Meaning: flesh. Used for flesh-eating animals or animals and plants with fleshy parts
saur, sauro-, -saurus, -saura: Pronunciation: /sɔər/, /sɔəroʊ/, /sɔərəs/, /sɔəra/. Origin: Ancient Greek σαῦρος (saûros). Meaning: lizard. Used for dinosaurs and other extinct reptiles.
Examples: Dinosaur ("terrible lizard"); Mosasaur ("lizard from the Meuse River"), Tyrannosaurus ("tyrant lizard"), Allosaurus ("other lizard"), Sauroposeidon ("lizard of Poseidon"), Maiasaura ("caring mother lizard"), Bonitasaura ("lizard from La Bonita")
sin-, sino-: Pronunciation; /sɪn/, /saɪnoʊ̯/. Origin: Latin: Sina. Meaning: from China. Used for ancient and other civilizations.
smilo-, -smilus: Pronunciation: /smaɪloʊ/, /smaɪləs/. Origin: Ancient Greek σμίλη (smílē). Meaning: a carving knife or chisel. Used for animals with sabre teeth.
sucho-, -suchus: Pronunciation: /sjuːkoʊ/, /sjuːkəs/. Origin: Ancient Greek σοῦχος (soûkhos). Meaning:: Originally the Ancient Greek name for the Ancient Egyptian crocodile-headed god, Sobek. Used to denote crocodilians or crocodile-like animals.
thero-, -therium. Pronunciation: /θɛroʊ/, /θiːrɪəm/. Origin: Ancient Greek θήρ (thḗr). Meaning: beast. Used for supposedly monstrous animals. The suffix "-therium" is often used to denote extinct mammals.
Examples: theropod ("beast foot"), Deinotherium ("terrible beast"); Megatherium ("big beast"); Brontotherium ("thunder beast"); Uintatherium ("beast from the Uinta Mountains")
thylac-: Pronunciation: /θaɪlæk/. Origin: Ancient Greek θύλακος (thúlakos). Meaning: a sack. In the sense of "pouch", used for marsupials.
titano-, -titan: Pronunciation: /taɪtænoʊ/, /taɪtən/. Origin: Ancient Greek Τιτάν, Τιτᾶνος (Titán, Titânos). Meaning: Titan, of the Titan, respectively. Used for large animals.
tyranno-, -tyrannus: Pronunciation: /taɪrænoʊ/, /taɪrænəs/. Origin: Ancient Greek τύραννος (túrannos). Meaning: tyrant. Used for animals similar to Tyrannosaurus.
-venator: Pronunciation: /vɛnətər/. Origin: Latin venator. Meaning: hunter.
Examples: Afrovenator ("African hunter"); Juravenator ("hunter from the Jura Mountains"); Scorpiovenator ("scorpion hunter"); Neovenator ("new hunter"); Concavenator ("hunter of Cuenca")
xeno-: Pronunciation: /zinoʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek ξένος (xénos). Meaning: strange, stranger. Used for organisms that exhibit unusual traits for their class.
-zoon, -zoa: Pronunciation: /zoʊɑːn/, /zoʊə/. Origin: Ancient Greek ζῷον (zōion). Meaning: animal. Used for broad categories of animals, or in certain names of animals.
Examples: Metazoa ("encompassing animals"); Parazoa ("near animals"); Ecdysozoa ("moulting animals"); Yunnanozoon ("animal from Yunnan"); Yuyuanozoon ("animal from Yu Yuan")
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