duvaucelii

duvaucelii is a species epithet used in the scientific names of various organisms. In biological nomenclature, the epithet is the second part of a binomial name and is written in lowercase; it is typically italicized together with the genus. The form duvaucelii is a Latinized genitive that honors a person with the surname Duvaucel.

Origin and etymology: The epithet derives from the surname Duvaucel and is used to pay tribute to a 19th-century French naturalist associated with early scientific exploration. The exact individual honored by different species with this epithet may vary by publication, and some sources may use alternative spellings such as duvauceli depending on the taxonomic tradition and gender agreement with the genus.

Usage: duvaucelii appears across multiple taxonomic groups in zoology and botany; it is not a taxon but a descriptor attached to a species name. Each species bearing this epithet belongs to its own genus and must satisfy the rules of nomenclature, including priority and unique binomials within a genus. The epithet does not imply any close evolutionary relationship among these species beyond the honorific origin of the name.

Notes: The practice of naming species after people reflects historical collaboration and field work. The exact individual honored by the epithet duvaucelii may be difficult to determine from the epithet alone; consulting the original species description is often necessary to identify the honoree.