attenboroughi

Attenboroughi is a Latinized species epithet used in the binomial names of various organisms to honor Sir David Attenborough, the British naturalist and broadcaster. The epithet is not a taxon by itself but a descriptor appended to a genus to form a species name in zoological, botanical, mycological, and microbial nomenclature. In Latin, attenboroughi conveys the sense “of Attenborough” and is formed with the masculine genitive suffix -i, a common convention for male honorees. The epithet may appear across multiple kingdoms, including animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms, reflecting Attenborough’s influence in natural history.

Names bearing attenboroughi are proposed by the describing authors and become formal when published with an appropriate description and type specimen in accordance with the relevant nomenclatural codes—the ICZN for animals and the ICN for plants, algae, and fungi. As with other eponyms, the combination Genus attenboroughi is a unique scientific name identifying a particular species, distinct from the genus or other species names. The use of attenboroughi is one example of commemorative naming in taxonomy, a practice that honors scientists, explorers, and public figures. There is no single taxon called attenboroughi; rather, it appears as a recurring epithet in the scientific names of multiple, unrelated species.