obesus

Obesus is a Latin adjective meaning “fat” or “obese.” In scientific naming, obesus has been adopted as a specific epithet in the binomial nomenclature of numerous organisms, indicating notable body mass or adipose characteristics. It is not a taxon on its own; rather, it appears alongside a genus name to form a species designation.

Taxonomic usage and scope: The epithet obesus is used across many different genera in zoology, botany, and paleontology. Because the epithet must agree with the gender of the genus, the masculine form is obesus, the feminine form is obesa, and the neuter form is obesum. The use of obesus is descriptive, signaling a noticeable trait related to size or fat storage rather than implying a single evolutionary lineage.

Etymology and grammar: The word derives from Latin, where obesus means fat or obese. In practice, the form of the epithet changes to match the genus it accompanies, following standard Latin agreement rules for adjectives in scientific names.

Significance: As a descriptive epithet, obesus contributes to the information conveyed by a species name, often reflecting a morphological observation at the time of naming. It does not by itself define a distinct taxonomic group, and different genera may independently adopt the epithet for unrelated species.

See also: Latin in biological nomenclature; specific epithets; taxonomic naming conventions.