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monotypic

American  
[mon-uh-tip-ik] / ˌmɒn əˈtɪp ɪk /

adjective

  1. having only one type.

  2. of the nature of a monotype.

  3. Biology.  having only one representative, as a genus with a single species.


monotypic British  
/ ˌmɒnəʊˈtɪpɪk /

adjective

  1. (of a genus or species) consisting of only one type of animal or plant

  2. of or relating to a monotype

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

monotypic Scientific  
/ mŏn′ə-tĭpĭk /
  1. Having a single form or member, especially containing no more than one taxonomic category of the next lower rank. A monotypic genus contains a single species, while a monotypic species consists of a single population that is not divided into subspecies.

  2. Compare polytypic


Etymology

Origin of monotypic

1875–80; mono- + type ( def. ) + -ic ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Until more material from critical areas is available for study, I continue to recognize angustapalata as a monotypic species.

From Project Gutenberg

The tribe is very poorly represented in tropical Africa; one species Oxytenanthera abyssinica has a wide range, and three monotypic genera are endemic in western tropical Africa.

From Project Gutenberg

Or, in other words, natural selection, when acting alone, can never induce polytypic evolution, but only monotypic.

From Project Gutenberg

Three are monotypic and the fourth has three subspecies, making a total of six taxa.

From Project Gutenberg

Geographical Distribution.—The genus is monotypic and is only known from Travancore and Cochin in the south-west of the Indian Peninsula.

From Project Gutenberg