Neospecies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A newly identified or recently discovered category of living organisms distinct from previously known species; a classification representing a novel form of life recognized by scientists; an organism grouping defined by unique characteristics not found in existing taxonomic groups
2. A category of life that has been recently described and differentiated from existing organisms based on specific traits; a modern addition to biological classifications representing a previously undocumented species; an organism type characterized by newly discovered features distinguishing it from other known species
3. A biological designation for a recently characterized species that has not been classified before; a taxonomic group representing a novel organism entity distinct in its traits and lineage; a scientific term for a species newly recognized through research and analysis of distinguishing characteristics

Etymology: "Neo-" comes from Greek "neos," meaning "new," and it has long been used in English to form compounds with the sense "new" or "a new form of." Attached to "species," which traces back through Latin "species," meaning "appearance" or "kind," it produces a term for a kind of organism that is new to science rather than a new kind of animal or plant in the everyday sense. The word is a plain compound with no hidden story: a classical prefix joined to an existing biological term. Its usefulness lies in how it marks a boundary. A neospecies is one that taxonomists have recently characterized and set apart from known groups, based on its distinguishing traits and lineage. The prefix signals novelty of recognition, not that the organism itself has only just appeared.

Synonyms: new species, recent species