Which of the following is a scientific name for swine?

• A. Sus scrofa
• B. Ovis aries
• C. Bos taurus
• D. Gallus gallus domesticus

Answer: (A)

Understanding binomial nomenclature means using a two-part name to identify a species. The first part is the genus, the second is the species, with the genus capitalized and the species lowercase (often written in italics).

For swine, the genus is Sus and the species is scrofa, giving Sus scrofa. This two-part name uniquely identifies the domestic pig and its wild relatives. The other names correspond to different animals: Ovis aries is sheep, Bos taurus is cattle, and Gallus gallus domesticus is the domestic chicken.