The thylacine (Thylacynus cynocephalus): a rebirth starting from the name

Abstract

The generic name of the thylacine has two variants (or spellings), Thylacinus (meaning “marsupial”) and Thylacynus (“marsupial dog”), both created in the same zoological work by C. J. Temminck (1824). For the reasons explained here, the name that Temminck meant to use was Thylacynus. The variant Thylacinus became dominant after a mistaken use in an important nomenclature reference book by S. A. Neave (1935‒1941). However, according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (Articles 24.2.3‒4), Temminck is to be considered the First Reviser, and the selected spelling (Thylacynus) is thereby to be fixed as the correct original spelling.