MCQ Detailed View

The Latin name given to modern humans is Homo sapiens. This name is part of the biological classification system used in taxonomy. In this system, every organism is given a two-part scientific name. This naming system is called binomial nomenclature, developed by Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century.

The term Homo sapiens includes two taxonomic ranks:

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  Homo is the genus.

  
  


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  Sapiens is the species.

  
  

So, Homo sapiens includes both the genus and species of human beings. This system helps scientists across the world communicate clearly about species without confusion. Scientific names are always written in Latin or Greek and follow international naming conventions.

In the case of Homo sapiens:

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  Genus (Homo): This refers to the group of species that are closely related. Other extinct human relatives like Homo habilis and Homo erectus also fall under this genus.

  
  


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  Species (sapiens): This refers to the specific organism within that genus. In this case, sapiens refers to modern humans.

  
  

This naming shows that humans belong to the genus Homo and the species sapiens. It does not include ranks like Family (Hominidae), Order (Primates), or Class (Mammalia), even though humans are classified under those categories in broader taxonomy.

Understanding this is important in Biology because it helps explain how all living organisms are grouped and related. Homo sapiens is a clear example of how binomial names are constructed using genus and species only, which is the most specific level of classification in biology.