Scientific Name Knowledge

[RatioTile]

How familiar are ZooChatters with systematics, Linnean taxonomy, and binomial nomenclature? I've met a wide range of people: 1) some who don't use scientific names at all, 2) some who do know a few but never say them out loud, only write them, and 3) some who memorize hundreds of them and use them in conversation (as I do).

I've been memorizing scientific names since early childhood, and I'm a huge proponent of using them, as they avoid confusion when talking with people all over the world who speak different languages. Zoos should definitely provide them on signage. I can see barriers to widespread use, though. Learning them is like learning a separate language comprised of Latin, Greek, people's surnames, and other languages that doesn't follow the grammar of any of them. However, some friends and I find that it really helps to know etymology and roots, like breaking down Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus): Hali=sea, aeetus=eagle, leuco=white, cephalus=head. "White-headed sea-eagle."

I've also encountered people in fish identification groups who find scientific names to be nerdy and elitist and try to avoid using them. They think they're more confusing than clarifying. What are your thoughts on using scientific names when talking about animals? Should the general public become more literate in them, and how can this be facilitated?

 

[SusScrofa]

I've also encountered people in fish identification groups who find scientific names to be nerdy and elitist and try to avoid using them. They think they're more confusing than clarifying.

This I don't get. There are thousands of fish species who don't have a common name or at least a well-known one. Same with invertebrates and many herp groups. How can one otherwise identify them accurately?

 

[cloudedleopard611]

I usually use both on this site but rarely use scientific names in real life. I honestly do not often talk to people who are knowledgeable about animals so there's no point in doing that, I would only confuse them.

 

[15399]

I tend to use scientific names in two categories:
1. Talking about broader groups of animals. For instance, if I'm talking about a genus of animals I will use the genus name (e.g. "Uroplatus"), and not the common name (e.g. "leaf-tailed geckos").

2. Specifically in herps, there are a lot of taxa with confusing common names in which scientific names are a necessary clarifier, especially stuff like Uromastyx where the common names are a huge mess. Within herps, I tend to use scientific names quite a lot then, but outside of herps I pretty much only use them as necessary and for higher-order taxa.

 

[Fallax]

I only use common names in real life settings. Online I will almost always use common names unless we are talking specifically about something where using the scientific name would be more beneficial. I prefer to use scientific names when talking about amphibians and fish in zoo contexts as it can become confusing quite quick, I'll do it for some reptile groups too.

 

[Mo Hassan]

The elitist angle is interesting: Latin and Ancient Greek might be seen as elitist languages themselves, but the context in which they're used in scientific names isn't. Look at how prominent scientific names are in botanical and palaeontological communities (at least genera). I'm glad common names didn't catch on for dinosaurs, for example - the specific names are far less well-known (Tyrannosaurus rex excluded, of course).

For those interested in etymology, I hope sharing a link to my online dictionary of mammalian names isn't against any forum rules. I've been researching and collating this resource for a number of years and am working on a second edition-of-sorts. There's such a wealth of information hidden in scientific names that I just love getting into and talking about.

 

[ifesbob]

I use scientific names online to clarify, but I don't really use them in casual conversation unless I'm talking to someone who I know understands them. In some places it's extremely difficult to talk in common names because common names are shared by many different species sometimes.

 

[Dassie rat]

I once went to a pub with 2 primate experts, who talked about species using scientific names. I know several scientific names of primates, but still fell behind as I translated scientific names into common names. One of the people gave a talk to London Zoo volunteers. Once again, he only talked about species using scientific names. After the talk, some volunteers asked, "What was that all about?" It is better to use common names in conversations unless your audience is as fluent in scientific names as you are.

 

[RatioTile]

I once went to a pub with 2 primate experts, who talked about species using scientific names. I know several scientific names of primates, but still fell behind as I translated scientific names into common names. One of the people gave a talk to London Zoo volunteers. Once again, he only talked about species using scientific names. After the talk, some volunteers asked, "What was that all about?" It is better to use common names in conversations unless your audience is as fluent in scientific names as you are.

Pretty much. For those who know them well, though, scientific names are great for trivia questions. I would love to participate in a game show for scientific names, but the audience would be really niche.

 

[Aardwolf]

Pretty much. For those who know them well, though, scientific names are great for trivia questions. I would love to participate in a game show for scientific names, but the audience would be really niche.

Perhaps a better game show for a wider audience would be to give people the scientific name and its English translation (i.e., "Snake Archer" for secretarybird, "One-Horned Nose-Horn" for Indian rhino) - it would be a lot more accessible to the general public

 

[Kakapo]

This poll is incomplete. I use scientific names primarily and common names only as a the expendable ornament that they are.

 

[Fallax]

This poll is incomplete. I use scientific names primarily and common names only as a the expendable ornament that they are.

Would you tell someone they have a nice Canis familiaris on the street?

 

[pendraig_milnerae]

I always tended more towards using common names predominantly and only including scientific names when clarification was needed, however I have moved more away from this over the last couple of years, and now aim to provide both whenever possible. Of course many informal contexts don't require scientific names, however I'll still include them when needed, and I will always include them in anything related to my studies, a habit encouraged by my lecturers.

 

[Dassie rat]

Would you tell someone they have a nice Canis familiaris on the street?

Would you eat a Canis familiarise calidus?

 

[ifesbob]

The other time I use scientific names is when I'm reading/doing/involved in scientific research. I rarely say them out loud but it annoys me when teachers (professors, really) dumb down scientific names by saying "you don't need to know these". Actinopterygii is not that hard to say, for example. Then again I may just be built different and find it easier than a lot of people.

Sometimes also they "translate" the taxon we're talking about into "normal" language and that frustrates me. In some ways it feels like they think we're not capable of remembering scientific terminology. I remember it was a thing when we were talking about bivalves, brachiopods, and mollusca, for instance.

Pretty much. For those who know them well, though, scientific names are great for trivia questions. I would love to participate in a game show for scientific names, but the audience would be really niche.

It could work on those game shows where they make something based on the competitor's knowledge.

 

[Kakapo]

Would you tell someone they have a nice Canis familiaris on the street?

No, in first place because they would have a Canis lupus instead. And by the way, how would you call the 99,99999% of animal species (those that doesn't have any common name) if you only want to use common names instead names?
(curious to see this imput from someone whose nickname is a Latin epithet!)

 

[ifesbob]

And by the way, how would you call the 99,99999% of animal species (those that doesn't have any common name)

Well in that case, you would obviously use scientific names, or the lowest level non-scientific name available

 

[Dassie rat]

What would happen if

It could work on those game shows where they make something based on the competitor's knowledge.

One of the questions could be "Which animal has the scientific name 'Boa constrictor'?"

 

[ifesbob]

What would happen if

One of the questions could be "Which animal has the scientific name 'Boa constrictor'?"

Someone would definitely overthink that one

 

[Fallax]

No, in first place because they would have a Canis lupus instead. And by the way, how would you call the 99,99999% of animal species (those that doesn't have any common name) if you only want to use common names instead names?
(curious to see this imput from someone whose nickname is a Latin epithet!)

Those animals that don't have a common name... I am rarely going to ever talk about in everyday conversation (hence why they don't have one ). What does my username have to do with anything? Just because it is in Latin doesn't mean I'm going to confuse someone on the street by telling them to watch out from the Larus argentatus that is about to steal their food . I can't see why you would ever use a scientific name in an everyday context for an animal that has a common name unless you intentionally want to give yourself brownie points or be purposefully pretentious