If you’re active on #sciencetwitter, you may have seen a thread recently about tautonyms. “Tautonym” is a cool word for scientific names where the genus and species are the same word, For example, Vulpes vulpes is the scientific name for the red fox.
I have taken great delight in sharing these tautonyms with friends, colleagues, and random strangers on the bus. However, the problem that I keep having is that people want more details about something than the name. If you’ve had that problem, too, then this blog is for you.
![](https://www.promegaconnections.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/gallus-gallus-1024x777.jpg)
![](https://www.promegaconnections.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/bubo-bubo-1024x667.jpg)
![](https://www.promegaconnections.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/boops-boops-1024x545.jpg)
![](https://www.promegaconnections.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ExtraExtra.jpg)
![](https://www.promegaconnections.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Mola-mola-1024x800.jpg)
![](https://www.promegaconnections.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/velella-velella-880x1024.jpg)
![](https://www.promegaconnections.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Anableps-anableps-1024x680.jpg)
![](https://www.promegaconnections.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/meles-meles-1024x683.jpg)
I encourage you to explore more tautonyms; Gorilla gorilla, Lutra lutra, perhaps even Nycticorax nycticorax. It’s a fun excuse to learn something neat.
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Julia worked as Science Writer at Promega before returning to UW-Madison to go back to the lab bench. She earned a B.S. in biology and a B.A. in chemistry from University of North Carolina Wilmington, and a PhD from University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her hobbies include reading fantasy novels, playing Magic: The Gathering, ultimate frisbee, Netflix, and long walks to the fridge.
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