Any class of individuals sharing common properties and denoted by one common noun. In biology, the class below a genus, comprising organisms capable of interbreeding. The biological name, e.g. homo sapiens consists of the name of the wider genus (homo ) plus a distinguishing qualification (sapiens ). See per genus et differentiam . The ‘reality’ of species is one aspect of the problem of universals : see also natural kinds.
Philosophy dictionary. Academic. 2011.