Inbiological classification,subspecies (pl.: subspecies) is a rank belowspecies, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed.[2][3] Not all species have subspecies, but for those that do there must be at least two. Subspecies is abbreviated assubsp. orssp. and the singular and plural forms are the same ("the subspecies is" or "the subspecies are").
A taxonomist decides whether to recognize a subspecies. A common criterion for recognizing two distinct populations as subspecies rather than full species is the ability of them tointerbreed even if some male offspring may be sterile.[4] In the wild, subspecies do not interbreed due togeographic isolation orsexual selection. The differences between subspecies are usually less distinct than the differences between species.
Thescientific name of a species is abinomial or binomen, and comprises twoLatin words, the first denoting thegenus and the second denoting the species.[5] The scientific name of a subspecies is formed slightly differently in the different nomenclature codes. In zoology, under theInternational Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), the scientific name of a subspecies is termed atrinomen, and comprises three words, namely the binomen followed by the name of the subspecies.[6] For example, the binomen for theleopard isPanthera pardus. The trinomenPanthera pardus fusca denotes a subspecies, theIndian leopard.[1] All components of the trinomen are written in italics.[7]
Inbotany, subspecies is one of many ranks below that of species, such asvariety,subvariety,form, and subform. To identify the rank, the subspecific name must be preceded by "subspecies" (which can be abbreviated to "subsp." or "ssp."), as inSchoenoplectus californicus subsp.tatora.[8]
Inbacteriology, the only rank below species that is regulated explicitly by the code of nomenclature issubspecies, but infrasubspecific taxa are extremely important in bacteriology; Appendix 10 of the code lays out some recommendations that are intended to encourage uniformity in describing such taxa. Names published before 1992 in the rank ofvariety are taken to be names of subspecies[9] (seeInternational Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes). As in botany,subspecies is conventionally abbreviated as "subsp.", and is used in the scientific name:Bacillus subtilis subsp.spizizenii.[10]
Inzoological nomenclature, when a species is split into subspecies, the originally described population is retained as the "nominotypical subspecies"[11] or "nominate subspecies", which repeats the same name as the species. For example,Motacilla alba alba (often abbreviatedM. a. alba) is the nominotypical subspecies of thewhite wagtail (Motacilla alba).
The subspecies name that repeats the species name is referred to inbotanical nomenclature as the subspecies "autonym", and the subspecific taxon as the "autonymous subspecies".[12]
When zoologists disagree over whether a certain population is a subspecies or a full species, the species name may be written in parentheses. ThusLarus (argentatus) smithsonianus means theAmerican herring gull; the notation within the parentheses means that some consider it a subspecies of a largerherring gull species and therefore call itLarus argentatus smithsonianus, while others consider it a full species and therefore call itLarus smithsonianus (and the user of the notation is not taking a position).[13]
A subspecies is a taxonomic rank below species – the only such rank recognized in the zoological code,[14] and one of three main ranks below species in the botanical code.[12] When geographically separate populations of a species exhibit recognizablephenotypic differences, biologists may identify these as separate subspecies; a subspecies is a recognized local variant of a species.[15] Botanists and mycologists have the choice of ranks lower than subspecies, such as variety (varietas) or form (forma), to recognize smaller differences between populations.[12]
In biological terms, rather than in relation to nomenclature, apolytypic species has two or more genetically and phenotypically divergent subspecies,races, or more generally speaking,populations that differ from each other so that a separate description is warranted.[16] These distinct groups do not interbreed as they are isolated from another, but they can interbreed and have fertile offspring, e.g. in captivity. These subspecies, races, or populations, are usuallydescribed andnamed by zoologists, botanists and microbiologists.[citation needed]
In amonotypic species, all populations exhibit the same genetic and phenotypical characteristics. Monotypic species can occur in several ways:[citation needed]
All members of the species are very similar and cannot be sensibly divided into biologically significant subcategories.
The individuals vary considerably, but the variation is essentially random and largely meaningless so far as genetic transmission of these variations is concerned.
The variation among individuals is noticeable and follows a pattern, but there are no clear dividing lines among separate groups: they fade imperceptibly into one another. Suchclinal variation always indicates substantialgene flow among the apparently separate groups that make up the population(s). Populations that have a steady, substantial gene flow among them are likely to represent a monotypic species, even when a fair degree of genetic variation is obvious.
^abcKitchener, A. C.; Breitenmoser-Würsten, C.; Eizirik, E.; Gentry, A.; Werdelin, L.; Wilting, A.; Yamaguchi, N.; Abramov, A. V.; Christiansen, P.; Driscoll, C.; Duckworth, J. W.; Johnson, W.; Luo, S.-J.; Meijaard, E.; O’Donoghue, P.; Sanderson, J.; Seymour, K.; Bruford, M.; Groves, C.; Hoffmann, M.; Nowell, K.; Timmons, Z.; Tobe, S. (2017). "A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group".Cat News. Special Issue 11:66–69.hdl:10088/32616.
^Mayr, E. (1982). "Of what use are subspecies?".The Auk.99 (3):593–595.
^Monroe, B. L. (1982). "A modern concept of the subspecies".The Auk.99 (3):608–609.
^Rosenberg, Gary; et al. (eds.)."ICZN Glossary".International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.
^Russell, Peter J.; Hertz, Paul E.; McMillan, Beverly (2011)."21: Speciation".Biology: The Dynamic Science. Brooks/Cole California. p. 456.ISBN978-1133418849.
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