neotype

A neotype is a specimen selected to serve as the name-bearing type of a taxon when no original material exists or when all original material has been lost or destroyed. It provides a concrete reference point for the name, enabling stable and objective application of the taxon concept in ongoing nomenclature and research.

Designation of a neotype is undertaken to clarify the application of a name that would otherwise lack a formal type or where the existing name is problematic. The designation must be published in accordance with the rules of the relevant code (such as the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature or the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants) and must include explicit justification. The neotype should align as closely as possible with the original description and available information about the taxon, and it is typically sourced from material collected from or near the original type locality when feasible.

Criteria for selection require that the neotype be clearly identified and deposited in a recognized, accessible institution. Its data—collection locality, date, collector, and diagnostic characters—should be documented to enable verification and future reference. The goal of designating a neotype is to preserve nomenclatural stability while faithfully representing the taxon as originally described.

Relation to other types: a neotype is distinct from a lectotype (which is chosen from among existing original material when no holotype was designated or when it exists among syntypes) and from syntypes themselves. Neotypes are only designated when no original material remains and when a stable use of the name necessitates a fixed reference.