forsteri

Forsteri is a Latinized species epithet used in the scientific names of many organisms to honor individuals with the surname Forster. In taxonomic practice, forsteri is typically treated as a masculine genitive form meaning “of Forster,” and it is appended to a genus name to form the binomial name of a species. The exact form and endings can vary depending on the honoree and the taxonomist’s Latinization, but forsteri commonly indicates that the person honored was male.

The epithet is widely encountered across biological groups, including zoology and botany, and is not tied to any particular trait of the organism. Rather, it serves as an acknowledgment or tribute to a person, often a naturalist or contributor associated with the species’ discovery or study. Because multiple individuals named Forster may be honored in different taxa, the same epithet does not denote a single lineage or relation among all species bearing it.

A well-known example is the Forster’s tern, which bears the scientific name Thalasseus forsteri (formerly Sterna forsteri). This usage illustrates how forsteri links disparate species back to a namesake in the history of natural science.

In summary, forsteri is a common taxonomic epithet used to honor the Forster surname, appearing in diverse organisms and reflecting the tradition of recognizing contributions to natural history rather than conveying biological characteristics of the species.