A bottlenose dolphin? Or Tursiops truncatus? Why biologists give organisms those strange, unpronounceable names

A bottlenose dolphin? Or Tursiops truncatus? Why biologists give organisms those strange, unpronounceable names

Most people would call it a "field mouse," but a scientist would ask, "Was it Peromyscus maniculatus? Or Peromyscus leucopus?"

A bottlenose dolphin? Or Tursiops truncatus? Why biologists give organisms those strange, unpronounceable names - Tech and Science Post

Most people would call it a “field mouse,” but a scientist would ask, “Was it Peromyscus maniculatus? Or Peromyscus leucopus?” Scientists use a system of complicated-sounding names to refer to everyday creatures, a practice heavily lampooned in the Warner Bros. cartoons featuring the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote – or, respectively, Accelleratii incredibus and Carnivorous vulgaris. As a biologist, I use these seemingly odd names myself and help…