What was the original generic name, the protonym, for the Black-and-Yellow Tanager?
Answer
Tachyphonus chrysomelas
The protonym represents the initial formal generic assignment given to the species upon its first description. This specific historical assignment was *Tachyphonus chrysomelas*. Although the bird is now recognized under the genus *Chrysothlypis*, the protonym remains a crucial fixed reference point in taxonomy. This initial placement preceded the modern understanding derived from deeper evolutionary analysis, which led to its reassignment. The original designation is significant because it documents the historical taxonomic steps taken by the describing ornithologists before updated evidence suggested a closer phylogenetic grouping within *Chrysothlypis*.
Related Questions
What was the original generic name, the protonym, for the Black-and-Yellow Tanager?Which ornithologists are credited with the initial formal description of the species in 1869?What two primary elements, derived from Greek, define the meaning of the specific epithet *chrysomelas*?To which avian Family is *Chrysothlypis chrysomelas* currently situated, confirming its identity as a true tanager?Where was the type locality pinpointed for the initial formal description of the species?How does the geographical location of the recognized subspecies *C. c. ocularis* differ from the nominate subspecies?What is the general translation signified by the Greek origin of the genus name *Chrysothlypis*?What is the specific morphological feature noted on the male *ocularis* that helps distinguish it from the nominate form?When ornithologists shift a species from *Tachyphonus* to *Chrysothlypis*, what is the primary evolutionary justification?Which spelling of the specific epithet is noted as an emendation that differs from the spelling recognized by most modern authorities?What level of avian classification, known as the largest order, does the Black-and-Yellow Tanager belong to?