Subspecies

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Subspecies is a classification (taxonomy) in biology. It is directly below species. When looking at the Latin name, subspecies are indicated by the third name. Subspecies can mix with each other; animals or plants from different subspecies can have offspring together (This is not the case with those from different species).

When looking at subspecies, they can also be told apart sufficiently by looking at the appearance or DNA of an animal or a plant.

Very often, there are populations that are between two subspecies; this is because evolution is a continuous process. Subspecies can often be recognised by subsp or ssp (before the third part of the name) especially in botany.

Examples of subspecies are:

• The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) and the dingo (Canis lupus dingo) are both subspecies of the wolf (Canis lupus)
• The domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) is a subspecies of the Wild cat (Felis silvestris)