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Inzoology,form (Latin:forma) is a strictly informal term that is sometimes used to describe organisms. Under theInternational Code of Zoological Nomenclature the term has no standing (it is not accepted). In other words, although form names are Latin, and are sometimes wrongly appended to abinomial name, in a zoological context, forms do not have anytaxonomic significance; such names areunavailable, do not have authors or dates, and do not compete for homonymy.[1]
Some zoologists use the word "form" or "forma" to describe variation in animals, especiallyinsects, as part of a series of terms and abbreviations that are appended to thebinomen ortrinomen. Many "typical specimens" may be described, but none should be considered absolute, unconditional or categorical. Forms have no official status, though they are sometimes useful in describing altitudinal or geographicalclines. As opposed tomorphs (see below), asubpopulation usually consists of a single form only at any given point of time.
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