BIOLOGY/ZOOLOGY related questions dealing with scientific names of animals?

[OneInaMillion]

1. If a black labrador dog has the scientific name 'Canis domestica', what scientific name would be given to a white highland terrier?2. Two organisms are similar in appearance. Will they have the same generic name??

[naarlivi]

Canis domestica is the species name for all dogs. so regardless its breed, their scientific name is the same. just like people of different races have the same scientific name:Filipinos are Homo sapiens, americans are Homo sapiens, French are still Homo sapiens.for your second question, what do you mean by generic name? like maybe, german shepherds and labradors are similar in appearance, so they have the sane generic name: DOGS. is that what you mean?

[paul5666]

Species and genus are defined scientifically. Some scientist have slightly different standards but the acceptable definition is species is the smallest unit that can produce fertile offspring and is reproductively isolated from other groups and fundamentally similar in structure. Species that are similar in appearance but cannot produce fertile offspring are of the same genus or subgenus. Sometimes species such as your white and black dog might be, are thought to be different species. Then when they produce fertile offspring they are reclassified as the same species.

[zooevo101]

1. If the Black Labrador had the Linnean binomial 'Canis domestica' the West Highland White Terrier would have the same binomial since they are recognized as members of the same species. See http://ccr.cancer.gov/resources/cop/nature04338.pdfThat being said, the valid binomial for the dog isn't 'Canis domestica'. It is 'Canis familiaris'.2. Two organisms can look extraordinarily similar and yet be classified in wildly different taxa. So no they will not have the same generic name. One of the previous answers saying they will is incorrect. Classifying things by overall similarity is called a "phenetic" system of classification. This type of classification system fell out of favor in the middle of the 20th century and is no longer widely used. The type of classification system now used is termed a "phlyogenetic" classification system. This system is based on shared derived characterisitics and not overall similarity.Things can look very similar due to homology. They have evolved under similar selective pressures and have responded in similar ways, yet they are from to very different ancestral groups. Think sugar gllidershttp://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/sciences/zoology/ClassMammalia/Mammals/OrderDiprotodontia/SugarGlider/sugarglider.jpgand flying squirrelshttp://www.uwsp.edu/stuorg/wildlife/projects/flyingsquirrel/1.jpgThey look very similar and yet not only are they not in the same genus (Sugar Gliders are 'Petaurus breviceps' and flying Squirrels are 'Glaucomys sabrinus' and 'Glaucomys volans'), but gliders are marsupials while squirrels are placental mammals so they aren't even in the same order (Gliders are order Diprotodontia and Squirrels are order Rodentia).For more information on biological systematics seehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systematics