Definitions

1. noun

A new specimen or specimen group chosen as the representative of a species when the original type specimen is lost, destroyed, or otherwise unavailable.

“The discovery of a new fossil led to the designation of a neotype for the species, which helped scientists to better understand its characteristics.”

2. noun

A specimen or group of specimens chosen to represent an existing species name when the original type specimen is found to be invalid or incorrect.

“The researchers proposed a neotype for the species, which would help to correct the mistake in the original classification.”