Alterata

Alterata is a Latin adjective used in scientific naming to indicate that a taxon has undergone alteration or deviation from an ancestral form. In zoological and botanical nomenclature, alterata commonly appears as a specific epithet in the binomial name of a species. The form agrees with the gender of the generic name: alterata (feminine), alteratus (masculine), alteratum (neuter).

Because it is an epithet rather than a genus, there is no single taxon universally known as Alterata. Instead, many distinct species may bear the epithet alterata in different genera, reflecting a perceived altered form, morphotype, or variation from relatives. The exact reason for the epithet varies by taxon and is at the discretion of the describing author.

In non-taxonomic contexts, alterata may appear in Latin phrases meaning “altered” or “changed,” as part of textual descriptions or historical works. The term is primarily encountered in scientific literature and is not typically used as a standalone name outside of binomial nomenclature.