Interstellar Animal Taxanomy

[kilemall]

That animal encounters thread in CT got me to thinking- shouldn't animal and plant species have a third taxonomic designation?

I would envision a Latinized version of the origin world of species as the third item-

Humans-
Terra Homo Sapiens

Garhawk-
Nagaschki Stellafalconiformis Ulutatis

That standard because each planet typically has it's own unique DNA stamp beyond the amino acid stage.

I see the Vilani are defined as Homo sapiens vlandensis, I guess I would name that Terra Homo sapiens vlandensis,with those academics and/or societies that disagree (or perhaps political reasons re: Solomani) refusing the attribution.

Thanks to either the Ancients or thousands of years of interstellar travel and subsequent transplanting (intentional or otherwise), I would think the standard would be to name indeterminate species according to the subsector or sector that is it's 'range'.

Chamax-
Forevenus Chamax Multitudo Terribilis (made up, but feels right).

What say you?

 

[Whipsnade]

What say you?

I like it. It adds a nice "nuts & bolts" feel to any scenario, much like Robert Heinlen's famous sci-fi writing advice about having a door "iris open" instead of just "open"

Hans had a "xeno"-taxonomy system too. I can't remember the details, but it added another "term" much like yours.

You mentioned the JTAS "Bestiary" feature in another thread. IIRC, some (or maybe all) all of those articles had a taxonomic designation in the text.

 

[tjoneslo]

Hans had a "xeno"-taxonomy system too. I can't remember the details, but it added another "term" much like yours.

Hans' system added an ecosphere qualifier at the top. Generally this was the originating planet (or ecosphere). But between the Ancients and 10,000 years of recent history of interplanetary travel, sometimes things get a little mixed up. So the system was a little more generic than tied strictly to a single world.

 

[kilemall]

Hmm, just came up with more human subspecies names.

Homo Fabrica for the biorobots, tanks, etc.

Homo Ipsum for the genetically altered for enviornment.

 

[aramis]

Hmm, just came up with more human subspecies names.

Homo Fabrica for the biorobots, tanks, etc.

Homo Ipsum for the genetically altered for enviornment.

Technica sapiens would be a better fit than Homo Fabrica.

Homo ipsum is nifty - but each such stable population gets its own subspecies of H. Sapiens or species of Homo, at least using the standard scheme.

 

[maksimsmelchak]

That animal encounters thread in CT got me to thinking- shouldn't animal and plant species have a third taxonomic designation?

What say you?

Yes, absolutely. Ideally, every world would have a separate taxonomy system, but... That's more work than all but a few authors would embrace.

I have been playing with taxonomic systems that would not need so many details...

I never got a chance to discuss Hans' ideas before he passed away. RIP.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.