List of commonly used taxonomic affixes

This is a list of common affixes used when scientifically naming species, particularly extinct species for whom only their scientific names are used, along with their derivations.

a-, an-: Pronunciation: , , , . Origin: (). Meaning: a prefix used to make words with a sense opposite to that of the root word; in this case, meaning 'without' or '-less'. This is usually used to describe organisms without a certain typical characteristic, as well as organisms in which that characteristic may not be immediately obvious. Examples: Anurognathus ('tailless jaw'); Apus ('footless'); Apteryx ('wingless'); Pteranodon ('wings without teeth'); Anura ('tailless'); Anophthalmus ('eyeless'); Aceros ('hornless'); Agnatha ('jawless'); Aceratherium ('hornless beast'); Arrhinoceratops ('noseless horned face'); Apterodon ('teeth without wings') -acanth, acantho-: Pronunciation: , . Origin: (). Meaning: spine, thorn. Examples: Acanthodes ('spiny base'); Acanthostega ('spine roof'); coelacanth ('hollow spine'); Acrocanthosaurus ('high-spined lizard'); Acanthoderes ('spiny neck'); Acanthamoeba ('spiny amoeba'); Metriacanthosaurus ('moderately-spined lizard'); Holacanthus ('full spine'); Triacanthus ('three spine'); Acanthaster ('spine star'); Acanthocephala ('spine head'), Anisacanthus ('unequal spine'); Acanthoceras ('spine horn'): Acanthogeophilus ('spiny earth-lover'); Acanthosicyos ('spiny gourd'); Acanthophis ('spiny snake'); Acanthomyrmex ('spiny ant') aeto-: Pronunciation: . Origin: (). Meaning: eagle. Examples: Aetonyx ('eagle claw'); Aetobatus ('eagle ray'); Aetosauria ('eagle lizard'); Ichthyaetus ('fish eagle') Aeno-: Pronunciation: /aɪˈnɔs/. Origin: Ancient Greek: αἰνός (ainós). Meaning: terrible. Example: Aenocyon ( terrible dog ) afro-: Pronunciation: /ˈafro/. Origin: . Meaning: African. Examples: Afrovenator (African hunter); Afropithecus (African ape); Afrotheria (African beasts) -ales: Pronunciation: . Origin: . Meaning: Used to form taxonomic names of orders for plants and fungi. Examples: Enterobacterales ('Intestinal bacteria order'); Nitrosomonadales ('Nitrogen fixing bacteria order'); Fabales ('legume order'); Caryophyllales ('carnation plant order'); Myrtales ('myrtle order'); Malvales ('mallow order'); Agaricales ('agaric order'); Ranunculales ('buttercup order'); Lactobacillales ('lactic acid bacteria order'); Brassicales ('cabbage order'); Ophioglossales ('snake-tongue order'); Asterales ('aster order'); Apiales ('celery order'); Cucurbitales ('gourd order'); Celastrales ('staff-vine order'); Ginkgoales ('Ginkgo order'); Nymphaeales ('water lily order'); Fagales ('beech order'); Geastrales ('earthstar order'); Phallales ('stinkhorn order'); Rosales ('rose order'); Boletales ('porcino order'); Poales ('grass order'); Picramniales ('bitterbush order') amphi-: Pronunciation: , . Origin: (). Meaning: both. Examples: Amphibia ('two types of life'); Amphicoelias ('hollow at both ends'); Amphicyon ('ambiguous dog') aniso-: Pronunciation: . Origin: (). Meaning: unequal. Examples: Anisodon ('unequal teeth'); Anisoptera ('unequal wing'); Polanisia ('many unequalities'), Anisacanthus ('unequal spine') -anthus, antho-: Pronunciation: , . Origin: (). Meaning: flower. Examples: Helianthus ('sunflower'); Anthophila ('flower-loving'); Dianthus ('Zeus flower'/'godly flower'); Anthodon ('flower teeth') arch-, archi-, archo-, -archon, -archus: Pronunciation: , , , , . Origin: (), meaning: ruler; ἀρχικός (), meaning: ruling. Used for exceptionally large or widespread animals. Examples: Archelon ('ruling turtle'); Architeuthis ('ruling squid'); Thalattoarchon ('sea ruler'); Archosauria ('ruling lizard'); Andrewsarchus ('ruler of Andrews') archaeo-: Pronunciation: , . Origin: (). Meaning: ancient. Used for early versions of animals and plants. Examples: Archaeopteryx ('ancient wing'); Archaeoindris ('ancient Indri'); Archaeopteris ('ancient fern'); Archaeanthus ('ancient flower'); Archaeopotamus ('ancient of the river') -arctos, arcto-: Pronunciation: , . Origin: (). Meaning: bear. Examples: Phascolarctos ('pouch bear'); Arctodus ('bear tooth'); Arctocyon ('bear dog') arthro-: /arθroʊ/. Origin: (). Meaning: joint. Often used for animals with exoskeletons. Examples: Arthrospira ('jointed coil'); Arthropleura ('jointed rib'); Arthropoda ('jointed foot') aspido-, -aspis: Pronunciation: , . Origin: (). Meaning: shield. The suffix '-aspis' is used to describe armored fish. Examples: Cephalaspis ('head shield'); Sacabambaspis ('shield from Sacabamba'); Brindabellaspis ('shield from the Brindabella Ranges'; Aspidorhynchus ('shield snout') -aster: Pronunciation: . Origin: (). Meaning: star. Used to create genera relating to stars; most commonly applied to echinoderms such as sea stars and brittle stars. Examples: Acanthaster ('spine star'); Ophidiaster ('snake star'); Heliaster ('sun star'); Odontaster ('tooth star'); Asterozoa ('star animals'); Iranoaster ('star from Iran'); Asteroceras ('star horn'); Geastrum ('earth star') -avus: Pronunciation: . Origin: . Meaning: grandfather. Examples: Coelurosauravus ('hollow lizard grandfather'); Plateosauravus ('grandfather of Plateosaurus') -avis: Pronunciation: . Origin: . Meaning: bird. Examples: Protoavis ('first bird'); Argentavis ('bird from Argentina'); Eoalulavis ('little-winged dawn bird')

-bates: Pronunciation: . Origin: . Meaning: wanderer, one that treads. Examples: Hylobates ('forest wanderer'); Dendrobates ('tree wanderer') brachi-, brachy-: pronunciation: . Origin: (). Meaning: short, and the short part of the arm, or upper arm, respectively. Used in its original meaning, and also to mean 'arm'. Examples: Brachylophosaurus ('short-crested lizard'); Brachiosaurus ('arm lizard'); Brachyceratops ('short-horned face'); Brachyura ('short tail'); Brachiopoda ('arm foot') bronto-: Pronunciation: . Origin: (). Meaning: thunder. Used for large animals. Examples: Brontosaurus ('thunder lizard'), Brontotherium ('thunder beast'), Brontochelys ('thunder turtle') -canth, cantho-: see -acanth, acantho-. carcharo-: Pronunciation: . Origin: (). Meaning: sharp, jagged; extended via () to mean 'shark'. Examples: Carcharodon ('jagged tooth'), Carcharocles ('glorious shark'), Carcharodontosaurus ('shark toothed lizard') -cephalus, cephalo-, -cephale, -cephalian: Pronunciation: , , . Origin: (). Meaning: head. Examples: Sclerocephalus ('hard head'); Euoplocephalus ('well-armored head'), Pachycephalosaurus ('thick headed lizard'), Amtocephale ('head from Amtgai'); Therocephalia ('beast-headed'); Cephalocarida ('head shrimp'); Lagocephalus ('hare head'); Pachycephala ('thick head'); Acanthocephala ('spine head') -ceras, cer-, -ceratus: Pronunciation: , , . Origin: (). Meaning: horn. Used for many horned animals, but most notably ceratopsians. Examples: Stegoceras ('roof horn'); Triceratops ('three-horned face'), Orthoceras ('straight horn'); Megaloceras ('big horn'); Ceratosaurus ('horned lizard'); Microceratops ('small horned face'); rhinoceros ('nose horn'); Albertoceras ('horn from Alberta'); Aepyceros ('high horn'); Lophoceros ('crest horn'); Buceros ('ox horn'); Dinocerata ('terrible horn'); Cameroceras ('chamber horn'); Endoceras ('inner horn'); Didymoceras ('twin horn'); Diceros ('two horn'); Megaloceros ('great horn'); Asteroceras ('star horn'); Acanthoceras ('spine horn') cetio-, -cetus: Pronunciation: , . Origin: Ancient Greek κῆτος (). Meaning: sea-monster. The suffix '-cetus' is used for whales or whale ancestors, while the prefix 'cetio-' is used for whale-like or large animals. Examples: Peregocetus ('travelling whale'); Cetiosaurus ('whale lizard'); Ambulocetus ('walking whale'); Pakicetus ('whale from Pakistan'), Perucetus ('whale from Peru'); Pachycetus ('thick whale'); Eocetus ('dawn whale'); Orycterocetus ('burrowing whale') -cheirus, chiro-: Pronunciation: , . Origin: (). Meaning: hand. Examples: Deinocheirus ('terrible hand'); Ornithocheirus ('bird hand'); Austrocheirus ('southern hand'); Haplocheirus ('simple hand'); Chiroptera ('hand wing'); Chiropotes ('hand drinker') -chelys, chelo-, -chelon: Pronunciation: , , . Origin: , χελώνη (chelys, chelone ). Meaning: tortoise. Used for both tortoises and turtles. Examples: Megalochelys ('big tortoise'); Archelon ('ruling turtle'); Archelosauria ('Ruling tortoises and lizards') chloro-: Pronunciation: . Origin: (). Meaning: green. Examples: Chlorophyta ('green plant'); Chlorophyll ('green leaf'); Chlorospingus ('green finch'); Chlorophonia ('green song') choer-, choero-, -choerus: Pronunciation: , . Origin: (). Meaning: pig. Examples: Choeroichthys ('pig-fish'); Choerophryne ('frog pig'); Choerodon ('pig tooth'); Hydrochoerus ('water pig'); Choeropotamus ('river pig'); Choeropsis ('pig resembler') coel-: Pronunciation: or . Origin: (). Meaning: hollow. Examples: coelacanth ('hollow spine'); Coelodonta ('hollow tooth'); Coelophysis ('hollow form'); Amphicoelias ('hollow at both ends') cyan-, cyano-: Pronunciation: . Origin: (). Meaning: dark blue, blue, dark blue-green. Examples: Cyanocitta ('blue jay'); Cyanobacteria ('blue bacteria'); Cyanocorax ('blue raven') cyclo-: Pronunciation: (or ). Origin: (). Meaning: circle. Examples: Cyclomedusa ('circle Medusa'); Cyclostomata ('circle mouth') cyn-, -cyon: Pronunciation: , . Origin: (). Meaning: dog. Used for dogs or dog-like creatures. Examples: Cynodontia ('dog tooth'); Cynognathus ('dog jaw'); Cynopterus ('dog wing'); Arctocyon ('bear dog'); Procyon ('before the dog'); Cynocephalus ('dog head'); Xenocyon ('strange dog'); Hesperocyon ('western dog')

-dactyl, -dactylus: Pronunciation: , . Origin: (). Meaning: finger, toe. Examples: Artiodactyla ('even toe'); Pterodactylus ('wing finger'); Perissodactyla ('uneven toe'); Ctenodactylus ('comb finger'); Phyllodactylus ('leaf finger'); Hemiphyllodactylus ('half leaf finger'); Odontodactylus ('tooth finger'); Stenodactylus ('narrow finger') -deres, -dira: Origin: (). Meaning: neck, collar. Examples: Acanthoderes ('spiny neck'); Cryptodira ('hidden neck'); Pleurodira ('rib neck') -derm: Pronunciation: . Origin: (). Meaning: animal hide. Used for skin. Examples: Placodermi ('plated skin'); Echinodermata ('hedgehog skin'); Ostracodermi ('shell skin'); Pachydermata ('thick skin') -delphys, -delphis, delpho-: Pronunciation: , . Origin: (). Meaning: womb. Used for therian mammals. Examples: Sinodelphys ('Chinese womb'); Didelphis ('two womb'); Didelphodon ('two-womb [ie opossum] tooth'); Delphinus ('with a womb'); Monodelphis ('one womb') dendro-, -dendron, -dendrum: Pronunciation: , , . Origin: (). Meaning: tree. Examples: Rhododendron ('rose tree'); Liriodendron ('lily tree'); Dendrocnide ('tree nettle'); Epidendrum ('above tree'); Lepidodendron ('scaled tree'); Dendrobates ('tree climber'); Dendrocolaptes ('tree chiseller') di-: Pronunciation: . Origin: (). Meaning: twice. Used to indicate two of something. Examples: Dilophosaurus ('two crested lizard'); Diceratops ('two-horned face'); diapsid ('two arches'); Didelphis ('two womb'); Dichrostigma ('two-colored brand'); Diprotodon ('two front teeth'); Diceros ('two horn'); Dipus ('two foot') dino-, deino-: Pronunciation: . Origin: (). Meaning: 'terrible', 'formidable'. Used for presumably fearfully large or dangerous animals or animal parts. Examples: dinosaur ('terrible lizard'), Dinofelis ('terrible cat'), Dinornis ('terrible bird'); Deinonychus ('terrible claw'), Deinocheirus ('terrible hand'); Dinodocus ('terrible beam'); Deinosuchus ('terrible crocodile'), Dinohippus ('terrible horse'), Dinosorex ('terrible shrew'); Deinococcus ('terrible grannule'); Dinocerata ('terrible horn'); Dinocrocuta (‘Terrible hyena’) diplo-: Pronunciation: , . Origin: (diplóos, diploûs). Meaning: double. Examples: Diplodocus ('double beam'); Diplopoda ('double feet'); Diplomonad ('double unit'); Diplovertebron ('double vertebra') -don, -, -donto-: see -odon, -odont, -odonto-. draco-, -draconis: Pronunciation: Origin: Latin draco. Meaning: dragon.