Holotype

Hey kiddo,

A holotype is a special thing scientists use when they want to give a name to a new animal or plant. You know how you have a name that your parents gave you when you were born? Well, animals and plants also have names, and scientists use special rules to come up with those names.

So when a new animal or plant is discovered, scientists need to come up with a name for it. But they can't just make up any name they want - they have to follow some rules. One of these rules says that they need to find one special example of the animal or plant that they want to name, and keep it somewhere safe.

This special example is called the "holotype" - it's like the star of the show! Scientists use it to describe what the animal or plant looks like, how it behaves, and where it lives. They also use it to compare any other animals or plants they find that might be similar, to see if they are the same species or not.

So the holotype is an important thing, kind of like a show-and-tell example for scientists. It helps them keep track of all the different animals and plants that are out there, and make sure they have the right names.