Scientific Names

Most of us have at one time or another been attacked by someone armed with a mouthful of Latin or scientific names. As they look up at the majestic flight of a bald eagle and utter the magic words Haliaeetus leucocephalus, you wonder: what is this supposed to do to the eagle? Since the soaring flight continues uninterupted, we assume they must possess some great wisdom that we lack.

Take heart! Although I'm an ardent defender of the proper use of scientific terminology, they have often been overused. These names and terms have, too frequently, been used to exclude the average person from the lofty world of science. This is the most unfortunate part of this story. Although difficult to comprehend at first, these names are not only necessary in the proper identification of an animal or plant, but often tell us more about them than any common name ever could.

Over the years two camps have formed. On one hand you find the hobbyist ardently clinging to his common names; on the other hand are the scientists--never willing to utter anything under five syllables. Lying somewhere in the middle is the naturalist. Their job is to act as an interpreter--to translate the language of science into the language of the people. This doesn't mean that Latin names should be ignored, they are very important in proper identification and should be introduced whenever appropriate.

Without these Latin names, science would be in chaos. As Carl Linnaeus, the father of scientific terminology once said of early names:

"...these are for the most part a mere chaos of confusion, whose mother was barbarity, whose father dogmatism and whose nurse prejudice"

He developed a system of terms utilizing Latin, with some Greek, to identify each and every species of plant based on its relationship with other plants. This system has now been adopted for all types of plant and animal.

Composed of two names, a generic and a specific name, the two terms will prevent any confusion over two species with similar common names. Perhaps the best example can be found in the elk. The Latin name Cervus elaphus distinguishes it as what we know as an Elk. In Europe the term Elk describes what we normally call a Moose (Alces alces). The European version of an Elk is known as a Red Deer.

Confused? Herein lies the true value of proper naming. Anywhere you go in the world, Cervus elaphus means the same thing. It does not change locally like common names. It is the most efficient way of properly identifying a species.

Common names also have value. They represent the way most people learn to identify the local birds and trees. Often, the common names will reflect local or native stories about the creature in question. Don't ever feel that common names have less value, they must only be kept on a local level.