type specimen

type specimen

n. The specimen that was originally used to name a species or subspecies or that was later designated as the basis for that name. A type specimen might be a dried plant, a preserved animal, or a fossil and is usually kept in a museum or herbarium. There are several kinds of type specimens, such as holotypes and lectotypes.

type specimen

n (Biology) biology the original specimen from which a description of a new species is made. Also called: holotype

type′ spec`imen

n. an individual organism from which the description of a species has been prepared. [1890–95]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

type specimen - the original specimen from which the description of a new species is madeholotypeexample, model - a representative form or pattern; "I profited from his example"