In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon.[Mayr E, Ashlock PD. (1991). Principles of Systematic Zoology (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill. ] A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of Genus, the term "unispecific" or "monospecific" is sometimes preferred. In botanical nomenclature, a monotypic genus is a genus in the special case where a genus and a single species are simultaneously described.
Theoretical implications
Monotypic taxa present several important theoretical challenges in biological classification. One key issue is known as "Gregg's Paradox": if a single species is the only member of multiple hierarchical levels (for example, being the only species in its genus, which is the only genus in its family), then each level needs a distinct definition to maintain logical structure. Otherwise, the different taxonomic ranks become effectively identical, which creates problems for organizing biological diversity in a hierarchical system.
When taxonomists identify a monotypic taxon, this often reflects uncertainty about its relationships rather than true evolutionary isolation. This uncertainty is evident in many cases across different species. For instance, the diatom Licmophora juergensii is placed in a monotypic genus because scientists have not yet found clear evidence of its relationships to other species.
Some taxonomists argue against monotypic taxa because they reduce the information content of biological classifications. As taxonomists Backlund and Bremer explain in their critique, "'Monotypic' taxa do not provide any information about the relationships of the immediately subordinate taxon".
From a cladistic perspective, which focuses on shared derived characteristics to determine evolutionary relationships, the theoretical status of monotypic taxa is complex. Some argue they can only be justified when relationships cannot be resolved through synapomorphies (shared derived characteristics); otherwise, they would necessarily exclude related species and thus be paraphyletic.
Monotypic taxa are part of a broader challenge in biological classification known as aphyly – situations where evolutionary relationships are poorly supported by evidence. This includes both monotypic groups and cases where traditional groupings are found to be artificial. Understanding how monotypic taxa fit into this bigger picture helps identify areas needing further research.
The German lichenologist Robert Lücking suggests that the common application of the term monotypic is frequently misleading, "since each taxon by definition contains exactly one type and is hence 'monotypic', regardless of the total number of units", and suggests using "monospecific" for a genus with a single species, and "monotaxonomic" for a taxon containing only one unit.
Conservation implications
Species in monotypic genera tend to be more threatened with
extinction than average species. Studies have found this pattern particularly pronounced in
, where about 6.56% of monotypic genera are critically endangered, compared to
and
where around 4.54% and 4.02% of monotypic genera face critical endangerment respectively.
Studies have found that extinction of monotypic genera is particularly associated with island species. Among 25 documented extinct monotypic genera studied, 22 occurred on islands, with flightless animals being particularly vulnerable to human impacts.
Examples
Just as the term
monotypic is used to describe a taxon including only one subdivision, the contained taxon can also be referred to as monotypic within the higher-level taxon, e.g. a genus monotypic within a family. Some examples of monotypic groups are:
Plants
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The division Ginkgophyta is monotypic, containing the single class Ginkgoopsida. This class is also monotypic, containing the single order Ginkgoales, which has only the single family Ginkgoaceae, containing a single genus Ginkgo with a single species Ginkgo biloba.
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In the order Amborellales, there is only one family, Amborellaceae, and there is only one genus, Amborella, and in this genus there is only one species, Amborella trichopoda.
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The conifer Sciadopitys verticillata is the only species in the monotypic genus Sciadopitys, and also the only member of the family Sciadopityaceae.
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The flowering plant Breonadia salicina is the only species in the monotypic genus Breonadia.
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The family Cephalotaceae includes only one genus, Cephalotus, and only one species, Cephalotus follicularis – the Albany pitcher plant.
Animals
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The platypus is the only member of the monotypic genus Ornithorhynchus.
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The aardvark is the only extant member of the genus Orycteropus, the family Orycteropodidae, and the order Tubulidentata.
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The madrone butterfly is the only species in the monotypic genus Eucheira. However, there are two subspecies of this butterfly, E. socialis socialis and E. socialis westwoodi, which means the species E. socialis is not monotypic.
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Beluga whale or the beluga whale is the only member of its genus and lacks subspecies.
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Dugong dugon is the only species in the monotypic genus Dugong.
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Human (humans) are monotypic, as they have too little genetic diversity to have any accepted living subspecies.
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The narwhal is a medium-sized that is the only member of the monotypic genus Monodon.
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The palmchat is the only member of the genus Dulus and the only member of the family Dulidae.
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The Lepidogalaxias ( Lepidogalaxias salamandroides) is the only member of the order Lepidogalaxiiformes, which is the sister group to the remaining Euteleostei.
[ A phylogenomic approach to reconstruct interrelationships of main clupeocephalan lineages with a critical discussion of morphological apomorphies]
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Ozichthys albimaculosus, the cream-spotted cardinalfish, found in tropical Australia and southern New Guinea, is the type species of the monotypic genus Ozichthys.
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The bearded reedling is the only species in the monotypic genus Panurus, which is the only genus in the monotypic family Panuridae; it does however have three subspecies, so is not strictly monotypic.
File:Amborella trichopoda.jpg|In the order Amborellales, there is only one family, Amborellaceae and there is only one genus, Amborella, and in this genus there is only one species, namely Amborella trichopoda.
File:Beluga Whale Kissing its trainer.jpg|Beluga "" a human Animal training; both are monotypical in their genera.
File:Cephalotus follicularis Hennern 3 (cropped).jpg|The family Cephalotaceae has only one genus, Cephalotus, which contains only one species, Cephalotus follicularis, the Australian pitcher plant.
Other
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Picomonas judraskeda is the only known species in the division Picozoa.
See also
External links
