Question

Holotype is
A. Specimen used by the person as a nomenclatural type.
B. Duplicate of the nomenclatural type
C. Specimens mentioned while describing a new taxa on which the description is not based.
D. Specimen of a taxa deposited by different workers

Answer 1

Hint: The organisms are grouped into certain categories according to their descriptive characters and presumed natural relationships into a hierarchical system. Organisms are grouped into taxa and these taxa are provided with ranks which are known as the taxonomic ranks.

Complete answer:
A holotype can be defined as one of the several possible types of biological name types. A type is a property that allows a name to be fixed to a taxon. A holotype can be explained as the single physical representation of an organism. The holotype is known to be used when the species was originally described. A species can be described as a lower-ranked taxon. A holotype does not typically represent the taxon. However, the holotype must represent the taxon. Often, the fragments of an organism are accepted as the holotype of the type represented. The holotype of the fossil of a large herbivore dinosaur, Pelorosaurus humerocristatus from early Jurassic era, is preserved at the Natural History Museum in London.

In certain conditions, when in the absence of a holotype, another type may be selected out of the different types that are present. In the presence of a better type or specimen, the holotype does not change. There are some types of special bodies which are entrusted with the replacement or proposal of the holotypes. The ICZN Commission is responsible to replace a holotype with another type, which is also known as neotype. The Commission replaces the holotype if the holotype lacks certain important diagnostic characteristics. These characters are used as important features that are needed to differentiate the holotype species with the close relatives.

In other words, the holotype is used to describe the single specimen or designated as the type of specimen of a species used in the original published or produced description of the taxon.

Hence, the correct answer is option (A).

Note: The holotype can be said as an example of a given species and is used when the species are formally described. A holotype is the representative of the organism that is described. Under certain circumstances, the holotype can be changed but it is replaced by another name type.