holotype

American  

[hol-uh-tahyp, hoh-luh-] / ˈhɒl əˌtaɪp, ˈhoʊ lə- /

noun

Biology.

1. the type specimen used in the original description of a species.

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holotype British  

/ ˈhɒləˌtaɪp, ˌhɒləˈtɪpɪk /

noun

1. biology another name for type specimen

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holotype Scientific  

/ hŏl′ə-tīp′,hō′lə- /

1. The single specimen or illustration designated as the type for naming a species or subspecies or used as the basis for naming a species or subspecies when no type has been selected.

2. Also called type species

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Other Word Forms

• holotypic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of holotype

First recorded in 1895–1900; holo- + -type

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

holotype

In the case of Nanotyrannus, most of the holotype consists of skull material filled with sinuses and other irregular features that make it unsuitable for this type of study.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 9, 2025

But designating a neotype "usually relies on other people being able to determine whether or not you can find a specimen of the same species from the same locality" as the holotype, said Seago.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2023

But in Brazil, 90% of holotype fossils described by foreign researchers were housed in foreign collections, which goes against Brazilian law.

From Science Magazine ● Mar. 1, 2022

According to the new proposal, Sue, the Field Museum’s nearly complete T. rex, is now the holotype — the specimen that anchors a species name — of Tyrannosaurus imperator.

From New York Times ● Feb. 28, 2022

Consequently, we can not yet prove that some young males of C. m. mearnsi are as small as the holotype of C. pediculus.

From Comments on the Taxonomy and Geographic Distribution of Some North American Marsupials, Insectivores and Carnivores by Hall, E. Raymond (Eugene Raymond)