Body Parts
Part IV in a VI part series
Morphonyms: Describing the body
Okay, now on to the big taxonomy show. As we saw in the last post, a suffix can help orient you to what the first part of the scientific name is telling you. You’ll (hopefully) remember that “-ensis” means from this place, so the first part should be a place name is in Impatiens capensis, the scientific name for jewelweed (oddly enough, capensis meant “of the cape” from the false assumption that it grew near the cape of South Africa; it’s too bad species names can’t be changed). So lets dig into the meat of a scientific name, first by looking at terms that refer to an animal’s body parts.
Rood words for body parts
Morphonyms are scientific names that are based on the morphological appearance of an organism. These might reference an organism’s color, height, beak shape, size, or other prominent feature. Here’s a quick guide to the features of an animal (sorry botany nerds, I’m mostly ignoring plant names).
| Body Part | Root words found in the scientific name | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Head | cephalus (G) | Bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus |
|
Crest Cap |
lophos (G) crist (L) capillus (L) frons (L) |
Blue jay, Cyanocitta cristata Tufted titmouse, Baeolophus bicolor Nashville warbler, Oreothlypis ruficapilla Greater white-fronted goose, Anser albifrons |
| Mouth | stoma (G) | Shorthead redhorse, Moxostoma macrolepidotum |
| Throat | colli (L) | Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis |
| Fin Wing |
ptera (G) | Largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides Broad-winged hawk, Buteo platypterus |
| Tail | oura (G) | Green-tailed towhee, Pipilo chlorurus Gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis |
| Foot | pus (G) pes (L) |
Rough-legged hawk, Buteo lagopus Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes |
| Hand | chiro (G) mani (L) |
Bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus Deermouse, Peromyscus maniculatus |
Rood words for colors
| Color | Scientific Name | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Red | erythro (G) rufi (L) |
Red-headed woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus Bobcat, Lynx rufus |
| Golden | chrysos (G) aurum (L) |
Golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos Ovenbird, Seiurus aurocapilla |
| Yellow | xanthus (G) flavus (L) fulvus (reddish yellow, L) |
Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes Yellow-headed blackbird, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus Cave swallow, Petrochelidon fulva |
| Green | chloro (G) virens (L) viridesc (L) |
Green-tailed towhee, Pipilo chlorurus Black-throated green warbler, Setophaga virens Green heron, Butorides virescens |
| Blue | cyano (G) caerule (L) |
Blue-gray gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea Blue jay, Cyanocitta cristata |
| Brown | fuscus (sooty brown, G) castanea (chestnut-brown, L) |
Big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus Bay-breasted warbler, Setophaga castanea |
| Black | melano (G) niger (L) ater (dull black) |
Black scoter, Melanitta americana Black tern, Chlidonias niger Brown-headed cowbird, Molothrus ater |
| White | leuco (G) albus (L) |
Brown booby, Sula leucogaster White-throated sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis |
Resources
- An Etymology of Vermont Vertebrates by yours truly
- Borror’s Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms (pdf)
- Yoon’s Naming Nature
- Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names (free online)
- A good overview of the process for naming a new species (link)
