= Prokaryotic nomenclature
<Prokaryotic nomenclature> is the system of rules used to attach scientific names to <taxa> of <bacteria> and <archaea>. Naming supplies stable references for scientific communication; deciding which <organisms> belong together remains a question of <taxonomy (biology)> and evidence. The 2025 revision of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes explicitly preserves freedom of taxonomic thought.<International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes. Prokaryotic Code (2025 Revision) by Aharon Oren and others>[General Consideration 8 and Principle 1(4)]{ref}
A <nomenclatural type> anchors a name to a reference element. A <type strain> serves this role for a named <species> under the ordinary species rules. The reference need not be the most typical member of its group: it fixes how the name is applied when the boundaries of a <taxon> are reconsidered.<International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes. Prokaryotic Code (2025 Revision) by Aharon Oren and others>[Rules 15 and 18a]{ref}
For an invented classification example, suppose a named <species> contains <bacterial strains> A, B and C, with A its <type strain>. New evidence divides the group into A+B and C. Anchoring the old name to A identifies which resulting group retains that reference; finding that C has an unusual metabolism does not itself move the name to C. The example separates a reproducible naming decision from the biological evidence for splitting the group.
A <species> name combines a <genus (biology)> name with a specific epithet. Valid publication and the use of a correct name involve further rules, including publication and priority requirements. A name appearing somewhere in print is therefore not automatically a name with standing under this Code.<International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes. Prokaryotic Code (2025 Revision) by Aharon Oren and others>[Rule 12a, Principle 6 and Rules 24a–27]{ref}
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