The naming of wild animal species and their domestic derivatives

Abstract

Several systems have been devised for the naming of domestic animals but none has gained universal acceptance. Where Latin names of the Linnaean system are used, the majority of wild progenitor species and their domestic derivatives share the same name but in 19 cases there is a tradition of separate names for the wild and domestic forms. Many taxa first described and named by Linnaeus (Systema Naturae, 1758, 1766) and other authors were either based on domestic animals or encompassed both the wild and domestic forms. Among these are 16 mammals for which the name for the domestic form antedates or is contemporary with that of the wild ancestor and the former has been applied by a few authors to the wild species, creating confusion in the literature. A recent ruling (Opinion 2027, March 2003) by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature has fixed the first available specific name based on a wild population for 17 wild progenitor species (15 mammals, a fish and a moth). It is now recommended that names based on domestic forms be adopted for the corresponding domestic derivatives.