In binomial nomenclature, what capitalization rule is correct for the two parts of a species name?

• A. The genus is capitalized and the species is lowercase
• B. Both parts are capitalized
• C. Both parts are lowercase
• D. Only the genus is capitalized

Answer: (A)

In binomial nomenclature, the genus name is always capitalized while the species epithet is written in lowercase, and both parts are usually written in italics. This helps distinguish the formal group name from the specific descriptor within that group. For example, Homo sapiens shows the capitalized genus at the start and the lowercase species epithet to identify the species within that genus. If you saw both parts capitalized or both in lowercase, it would break this standard and could cause confusion across texts and languages.