Holotipul

Holotipul is the Romanian term for holotype, the single specimen designated as the name-bearing reference for a taxon when it is first described. In zoological and botanical nomenclature, the holotype provides the primary physical reference that defines the characteristics of the species or other taxon.

Designation and role are defined by nomenclature codes. The holotype is usually specified in the original species description. If no single specimen was designated, a lectotype may later be chosen from among the available specimens that contributed to the description; if no suitable material persists, a neotype may be designated to serve as the reference for the name. The holotype may be stored in a public museum or herbarium, with associated data such as locality, collection date, collector, and accession numbers.

Related concepts include paratypes (additional specimens cited in the original description that illustrate variation but do not bear the name), syntypes (the original set when no holotype was designated), and neotypes (new specimens chosen to replace a lost or inadequate type). A lectotype is selected from syntypes to serve as the single type specimen.

Holotypes stabilize species names and enable researchers to verify species identity through direct examination of the reference material. They are central to taxonomic revisions and biodiversity studies. Contemporary practice increasingly records extensive metadata and, where possible, molecular data linked to type specimens, though DNA is not always obtainable from older holotypes. The concept is governed by the relevant codes of nomenclature, primarily the ICZN for animals and the ICN for plants, algae, and fungi.