Which of the following is a scientific name for chickens?

• A. Gallus gallus domesticus
• B. Sus scrofa
• C. Capra hircus
• D. Equus caballus

Answer: (A)

In biology, organisms are named using binomial nomenclature, a system that assigns a genus and species (and sometimes a subspecies) to uniquely identify each organism. For chickens, the domesticated form is placed in the genus Gallus, with the species gallus, and the subspecies domesticus, yielding Gallus gallus domesticus. This is the standard scientific name used to refer specifically to the domestic chicken, avoiding confusion from common names.

The other options name different animals: Sus scrofa refers to the pig (wild boar or domestic pig); Capra hircus refers to the goat; Equus caballus refers to the horse. Proper formatting usually italicizes the name, with the genus capitalized and the species and subspecies in lowercase.