Linean

Linean refers to Carl Linnaeus or to the Linnaean system of taxonomy. The term is used to describe practices, nomenclature, or classifications that derive from Linnaeus (1707–1778), who established binomial nomenclature and a hierarchical framework for naming and classifying living organisms. In this system, each species is given a two-part Latin name consisting of the genus and species epithet (for example, Homo sapiens), and organisms are organized into a ranked hierarchy: kingdom, phylum (or division in plants), class, order, family, genus, and species. Linnaeus introduced standardized naming and a method for grouping related organisms based on shared characteristics, which dramatically improved communication and consistency in biology.

The Linean approach underpinned traditional taxonomy and is still echoed in modern taxonomic practice, although contemporary biology largely supplements it with cladistic and phylogenetic methods that reflect evolutionary relationships rather than solely morphological similarity. The two-name binomial system remains in wide use, as do the basic rank-based structure, though many taxonomic revisions now use additional ranks and phylogenetic groupings.

In botany and zoology, the term "Linean" is often used to differentiate Linnaean methods from newer phylogenetic approaches. The concept also appears in discussions of type specimens, nomenclature codes, and the historical development of biological classification.