Monotypic

Monotypic refers to a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. This term is often used in the fields of biology, botany, and zoology. A monotypic species is a species that does not have any subspecies. This is particularly common in endemic species, which have a limited geographic range.

Overview

In biology, the term "monotypic" is used to describe a taxonomic group that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. For example, a genus with only one known species is said to be monotypic. Similarly, a species with no subspecies is also considered monotypic.

Monotypic taxa are not uncommon. For instance, the order Monotremata, which includes only the platypus and the echidnas, is a monotypic taxonomic group. Similarly, the family Cervidae, which includes only the deer, is also monotypic.

Monotypic Species

A monotypic species is a species that does not have any subspecies. This is particularly common in endemic species, which have a limited geographic range. For example, the Galapagos tortoise is a monotypic species because it does not have any subspecies.

Monotypic Genera

A monotypic genus is a genus in the family of plants or animals that contains only one species. For example, the genus Ginkgo is monotypic because it contains only one species, Ginkgo biloba.

Monotypic Families

A monotypic family is a family that contains only one genus. For example, the family Cervidae, which includes only the deer, is a monotypic family.

See Also

• Polytypic
• Endemism
• Taxonomy (biology)

References

Monotypic Resources
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